Analysis of six trials show that as cholesterol levels are lowered the death rate increases

This study was published in the British Medical Journal 1990 Aug 11;301(6747):309-14

Study title and authors:

Lowering cholesterol concentrations and mortality: a quantitative review of primary prevention trials.

Muldoon MF, Manuck SB, Matthews KA.

Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15260.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2144195

This study analysed the findings of six cholesterol reduction trials. The participants in the six cholesterol reduction trials received either diet based, drug based, a mixture of diet and drug cholesterol lowering treatment or placebo. The trials lasted for an average of 4.8 years and included 24,847 male participants who were followed for a total of 119,000 person years. The average age of the men was 47.5 years.

The analysis found:
(a) The men receiving cholesterol reduction treatment reduced their cholesterol levels by about 10%.
(b) The men receiving cholesterol reduction treatment had a 7% increase in death rates compared to the men taking a placebo.

The results of this analysis of six trials show that as cholesterol levels are lowered the death rate increases.