Study questions predictive value of cholesterol:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Plasma cholesterol levels should not be relied on as a measure for potential heart disease, according to a 1,200-patient US study. Of the 506 men who had undergone heart bypass surgery, only 14% had plasma cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL (a total cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL indicates a low risk of heart disease), while 50% had levels below 200 mg/dL. Some 32% of the 244 women who had bypass surgery had levels above 240 mg/dL and 34% were below 200 mg/dL, researchers from the University of Illinois reported in the March issue of Atherosclerosis.