High levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with lower death rates and lower rates of cardiovascular disease

This study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2005 Dec;53(12):2159-64

Study title and authors:
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in older people.

Tikhonoff V, Casiglia E, Mazza A, Scarpa R, Thijs L, Pessina AC, Staessen JA.
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16398902

The objective of the study was to investigate the role of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol as a predictor of mortality in elderly subjects. The study included 3,120 subjects aged 65 and older who were followed for 12 years.

The study found:
(a) Men who had the highest LDL cholesterol had a 34% decrease in death rates compared to the men with the lowest LDL cholesterol.
(b) Women who had the highest LDL cholesterol had a 48% decrease in death rates compared to the women with the lowest LDL cholesterol.
(c) Men who had the highest LDL cholesterol had an 8% decrease in cardiovascular disease death rates (stroke, heart attack, heart failure) compared to the men with the lowest LDL cholesterol.
(d) Women who had the highest LDL cholesterol had a 23% decrease in cardiovascular disease death rates compared to the women with the lowest LDL cholesterol.

The results of this study show that high levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with lower death rates and lower rates of cardiovascular disease.