Low cholesterol levels are an accurate predictor of higher mortality levels in the nondemented elderly

This study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2005 Feb;53(2):219-26.

Study title and authors:
Relationship between plasma lipids and all-cause mortality in nondemented elderly.

Schupf N, Costa R, Luchsinger J, Tang MX, Lee JH, Mayeux R.
G. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15673344

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between cholesterol levels and risk of death from all causes in nondemented elderly. The study included 2,277 nondemented elderly, aged 65 to 98 living in northern Manhattan.

The study found:
(a) Those with the lowest cholesterol levels were approximately twice as likely to die as those with the highest cholesterol levels.
(b) Overall, women had higher cholesterol levels than men and lived longer.

To conclude: Low cholesterol levels are an accurate predictor of higher mortality levels in the nondemented elderly.