Low cholesterol levels predict high death rates in the very elderly

This study was published in Clinical Interventions in Aging 2014 Feb 13;9:293-300

Study title and authors:
Serum total cholesterol concentration and 10-year mortality in an 85-year-old population.

Takata Y, Ansai T, Soh I, Awano S, Nakamichi I, Akifusa S, Goto K, Yoshida A, Fujii H, Fujisawa R, Sonoki K
Division of General Internal Medicine, School of Oral Health Science, Kyushu Dental College, Kitakyushu, Japan.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24611005

This study evaluated the effect of cholesterol levels with death rates in the very elderly. The study included 207 very elderly (85-year-old) participants who were followed for ten years. The participants were allocated into three groups:
(i) High cholesterol: more than 209 mg/dL (5.4 mmol/L)
(ii) Intermediate cholesterol: between 176-208 mg/dL (4.5-5.3 mmol/L)
(iii) Low cholesterol: less than 175 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/L)

The study found:
(a) The group with the lowest cholesterol levels had a 72% higher death rate compared to the group with the highest cholesterol.
(b) Death rates decreased by 0.9% with each 1 mg/dL increase in cholesterol levels.
(c) Death rates decreased by 0.8% with each 1 mg/dL increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.
(d) Death rates decreased by 1.0% with each 1 mg/dL increase in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.
(e) Death rates decreased by 0.3% with each 1 mg/dL increase in triglyceride levels.

Takata concluded: "These findings suggest that low TC (total cholesterol) and low LDL-C may be independent predictors of high mortality in the very elderly".

Low LDL cholesterol levels are associated with reduced survival in elderly patients with heart failure

This study was published in Cardiology 2014;127(1):45-50

Study title and authors:
Low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol: a negative predictor of survival in elderly patients with advanced heart failure.

Charach G, Rabinovich A, Ori A, Weksler D, Sheps D, Charach L, Weintraub M, George J.
The Department of Internal Medicine 'C', Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Affiliated to the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24217704

This study aimed to examine the impact of statins and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels on survival rates in elderly patients with moderate and severe heart failure. The study included 212 patients, average age 77 years, who were followed for 3.7 years. The patients were divided into three groups according to LDL cholesterol levels:
(i) Group one had LDL cholesterol levels less than 90 mg/dL (2.32 mmol/l).
(ii) Group two had LDL cholesterol levels between 90-115 mg/dL (2.32-3.00 mmol/l).
(iii) Group three had LDL cholesterol levels above 115 mg/dL (3.00 mmol/l).

The study found:
(a) The total cholesterol levels of group one patients was 31% lower than group three patients.
(b) Group one patients were over twice as likely to be on statins than group three patients.
(c) Only 34% of group one patients survived longer than 50 months whereas 58% of group three patients survived longer than 50 months.

Charach concluded: "Low LDL cholesterol levels are associated with a reduced survival in elderly patients with clinically controlled moderate and severe heart failure. Statins were independently and significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality".

Low levels of LDL cholesterol increase the risk of gallstone disese

This study was published in the Journal of Hepatology 2012 Aug 21

 

Study title and authors:

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and risk of gallstone disease: A Mendelian randomization study and meta-analyses.

Stender S, Frikke-Schmidt R, Benn M, Nordestgaard BG, Tybjærg-Hansen A.

Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, Denmark; Copenhagen University Hospitals, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22922093

This study investigated the association of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels with gallstone disease. The study included 63,051 individuals. The individuals were divided into five groups based on their LDL cholesterol levels. The highest group had 134% higher LDL cholesterol levels than the lowest group.

The study found that those with the lowest LDL cholesterol levels had a 6% increased risk of gallstone disease compared to those with the highest LDL cholesterol levels.

Low fat/high carbohydrate diets lead to an increase in (bad) cholesterol

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in The Journal of Lipid Research, 51, 3324-3330 November 2010 and a recipe for a succulent bison roast.

Study title and authors:
Changes in lipoprotein(a), oxidized phospholipids, and LDL subclasses with a low-fat high-carbohydrate diet
Nastaran Faghihnia*, Sotirios Tsimikas†, Elizabeth R. Miller†, Joseph L. Witztum† and Ronald M. Krauss*,1
*Department of Atherosclerosis Research, Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Oakland, CA
†Department of Medicine,† University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.jlr.org/content/51/11/3324.abstract
                                                                                                                                            Books:

The study compared the effects of 2 diets on different types of cholesterol in 63 healthy subjects over a 4 week period.

The diets were:
(i) 20% fat, 65% carbohydrate, 15% protein (low-fat, high carbohydrate diet).
(ii) 40% fat, 45% carbohydrate, 15% protein (high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet).

The study found that:
(a) The (bad) Lp(a) levels increased by 11.8% on the low fat/high carbohydrate diet compared to the highfat/low carbohydrate diet.
(b) The (bad) apolipoprotein (apo)B levels increased by 5.6% on the low fat/high carbohydrate diet compared to the highfat/low carbohydrate diet.
(c) LDL cholesterol particle size decreased to a (bad) smaller size on the low fat/high carbohydrate diet compared to the highfat/low carbohydrate diet.
(d) The total number of (bad) very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles increased by 24% on the low fat/high carbohydrate diet compared to the highfat/low carbohydrate diet.
(e) The (bad) triglyceride levels increased by 23% on the low fat/high carbohydrate diet compared to the highfat/low carbohydrate diet.
(f) The (good) high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were 11% lower on the low fat/high carbohydrate diet compared to the highfat/low carbohydrate diet.
(g) The (good) Apo A-1 levels were 5% lower on the low fat/high carbohydrate diet compared to the highfat/low carbohydrate diet.

The changes in the above cholesterol levels by the low fat/high carbohydrate diet are associated with an inreased heart disease risk. See here and here.

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Recipe of the day

Succulent Bison Roast
                                                                                                                             Food Mall: Bison
Ingredients:

■2 pounds bison tri-tip

■2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence (or other spices of your choice)

■1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (don’t use fresh or it might burn)
■1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
■2 tablespoons oil
■1 white or yellow onion, sliced
■1 each parsnip, turnip and rutabaga, cubed

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Using a knife, carefully slice most of the silver skin off the meat. The silver skin is the thin, white layer covering parts of the roast.

In a small bowl mix together Herbes de Provence, garlic, salt and oil.

Rub the entire roast with the mixture then stick a thermometer into the thickest part of the roast. In a roasting pan, surround the meat with the chopped vegetables. Lightly drizzle the vegetables with oil then put the pan, uncovered, in the oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 300 degrees and cook the meat for approximately 35-45 minutes more, or until the thermometer reaches 140-145 degrees. The meat in the photo, cooked rare, was taken out of the oven at 140 degrees.

Remove the meat from the oven but leave the oven on so the vegetables can continue to cook. Let the meat rest on a cutting board for 15 minutes, uncovered or very lightly covered with foil. Remove the vegetables from the oven, slice the meat thinly, and serve.

Saturated fat helps to reduce heart disease risk factors

This post contains a synopsis of a study published in the Journal of Nutrition 132:715-718, 2002 and a recipe for Italian chicken.

Study title and authors:
Dietary Mono- and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Similarly Affect LDL Size in Healthy Men and Women1
Mario Kratz, Esma Gülbahçe, Arnold von Eckardstein, Paul Cullen, Andrea Cignarella, Gerd Assmann, and Ursel Wahrburg
Institute of Arteriosclerosis Research at the University of Münster, Domagkstraße 3, 48149 Münster, Germany
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This paper can be accessed at: http://jn.nutrition.org/content/132/4/715.abstract

The goal of this German study was to investigate the effects of dietary monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated Fats on low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol size. The study included 56 (30 men, 26 women) healthy participants.

First, all participants received a diet rich in saturated fat for 2 weeks and LDL size was measured; they were then randomly assigned to one of three dietary treatments for 4 weeks and again LDL size was measured.


The 3 diets were either:
(i) olive oil rich in monounsaturated fat 
(ii) rapeseed oil rich in monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat 
(iii) sunflower oil rich in polyunsaturated fat 

Analysis revealed a significant reduction in LDL size during the 4 week oil diet phase.

Kratz concluded that all dietary unsaturated fat reduced LDL size compared to saturated fat.

Compared with small LDL cholesterol, having more large size LDL cholesterol gives protection from heart disease and diabetes. See here.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Websites : Videos : Food Mall

Recipe of the day

Italian Chicken

Ingredients:
4 pieces chicken                                                                                                 Food Mall: Chicken

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp pepper

Instructions:
Mix all in a shallow dish. Add 4 pieces of chicken, turning to coat well.

Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours, remember to turn it over occasionally.

One hour before serving, heat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and put chicken on.

Put pan in oven, reduce heat to 325F.

Bake 35-45 minutes.