Low cholesterol levels lead to increased cancer and death rates

This study was published in the British Medical Journal 1980 Feb 2;280(6210):285-7

Study title and authors:

Cholesterol and mortality in New Zealand Maoris.

Beaglehole R, Foulkes MA, Prior IA, Eyles EF.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7357343

The relationship between cholesterol levels and mortality was studied over 11 years in 630 New Zealand Maoris aged 25-74.

The study found:
(a) Men with lower cholesterol had an 130% increased risk of death compared to men with higher cholesterol.
(b) Women with lower cholesterol had a 90% increased risk of death compared to women with higher cholesterol.
(c) Those with lower cholesterol also had an increased risk of cancer and "other" causes of death.

The results of this study provide evidence for the harmful effects of low cholesterol levels.