High cholesterol 'does not cause heart disease'

[Common]

Cholesterol does not cause heart disease in the elderly and trying to reduce it with drugs like statins is a waste of time, an international group of experts has claimed.
A review of research involving nearly 70,000 people found there was no link between what has traditionally been considered “bad” cholesterol and the premature deaths of over 60-year-olds from cardiovascular disease.
Published in the BMJ Open journal, the new study found that 92 percent of people with a high cholesterol level lived longer.


The authors have called for a re-evaluation of the guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, because “the benefits from statin treatment have been exaggerated”.
The results have prompted immediate scepticism from other academics, however, who questioned the paper’s balance.
High cholesterol is commonly caused by an unhealthy diet, and eating high levels of saturated fat in particular, as well as smoking.
It is carried in the blood attached to proteins called lipoproteins and has been traditionally linked to cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease and aortic disease

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2...esearch-finds/

[Peter1469]

This is old news in the alt-health industry.

Big Pharma does make a lot of money getting people on statin drugs for life.

[HoneyBadger]

Ancel Keys, rot in hell you miserable hack.

[Common]

Ancel Keys, rot in hell you miserable hack.

huh

[waltky]

Recovery help after heart attack...

Omega-3 fatty acids 'help recovery after heart attack'
Tuesday 2nd August, 2016 - High doses of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil can aid recovery from a heart attack, say scientists.

Taking omega-3 improves heart function and reduces scarring in undamaged cardiac muscle, results from a clinical trial have shown. After a heart attack, the heart's shape and function may be "remodelled" in ways that lead to a poorer prognosis for the patient and increase the risk of heart failure. Heart attack patients taking part in the trial were given either a 4g daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids for six months or a placebo. Those taking omega-3 experienced a 5.8% reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume index, a clinical marker which predicts heart attack patient outcomes.

Those taking omega-3 experienced a 5.8% reduction in left ventricular end-systolic volume index

They also had a 5.6% lower indication of scarred connective tissue formation in non-damaged heart muscle. Lead researcher Dr Raymond Kwong, from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, US, said: "Heart failure is still a major problem after a heart attack despite all the therapy we have and the advances in interventional care. "Our findings show that omega-3 fatty acids are a safe and effective treatment in improving cardiac remodelling, so it may be promising in reducing the incidence of heart failure or death, which are still major healthcare burdens to patients who suffer a heart attack."

The results, published in the journal Circulation, suggest that omega-3 fatty acids allow the heart to contract more efficiently and reduce scarring, said the scientists. There were also signs that the fish oil fats were reducing inflammation in the heart. The study involved 360 patients who were treated within a month of suffering a heart attack.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...-34930678.html

See also:

Eat more plant protein instead of animal protein for longer life, study suggests
1/08/2016 - Swapping animal for plant protein in your diet can lead to a longer life, research has shown.

A large study found that every 3% increase in calories from plant protein reduced the risk of death from all causes by 10%. It was also associated with a 12% lower risk of death from heart disease. In contrast, raising the animal protein share of calories by 10% led to a 2% higher risk of all-cause death and an 8% greater chance of dying from a heart problem. Animal protein foods include all types of meat, fish, eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Plant sources of protein include cereals, beans, nuts, legumes, soya and bread.

The greater risk of dying linked to eating animal protein was more pronounced among people who were obese, had a history of smoking, drank heavily, and who did little exercise. Among the healthiest participants, the association disappeared - possibly because health-conscious people tended to eat more fish and poultry rather than red and processed meat, said the researchers. Replacing processed red meat with plant protein was linked to a 34% lower risk of death from all causes for every 3% of calorie intake. Substituting plant protein for eggs led to a 19% reduction in death risk.

Plant sources of protein include cereals, beans, nuts, legumes, soya and bread

Lead scientist Dr Mingyang Song, from Massachusetts General Hospital, US, said: "Overall, our findings support the importance of the sources of dietary protein for long-term health outcomes. "While previous studies have primarily focused on the overall amount of protein intake - which is important - from a broad dietary perspective, the particular foods that people consume to get protein are equally important. "Our findings suggest that people should consider eating more plant proteins than animal proteins, and when they do choose among sources of animal protein, fish and chicken are probably better choices."

The researchers analysed data from two large US studies focusing on diet and health, the Nurses' Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Together, they recruited a total of 131,342 participants with an average age of 49 whose progress was followed for up to 32 years. Each participant filled out food questionnaires detailing his or her diet. During the follow-up period more than 36,000 deaths were recorded. Almost 9,000 of these were due to cardiovascular disease, 13,000 to cancer and about 14,000 to other causes. The findings are reported in the journal Jama Internal Medicine.

MORE

[Cletus]

huh

He is the medical hack who started this whole "saturated fat will kill you" nonsense.

[waltky]

Statins Could Benefit Those at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease...

Study: Statins Could Benefit Those at Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
January 06, 2017 - For people who are at risk of getting cardiovascular disease — but don’t yet have it — a U.S. task force and a large, international study conclude they could benefit from taking a daily pill.

Worldwide, 1 billion people are affected by cardiovascular disease — diseases of the heart and blood vessels — and more than 17 million will die from them this year. In the U.S., cardiovascular disease kills 1-in-3 Americans. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force decided to review risk factors and prevention measures to try to change that. “The risk factors for cardiovascular disease include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and your age,” said Dr. Douglas Owens, a task force member who has reviewed the data on cardiovascular disease.

What statins do

Family history is also a factor. To combat the disease, many doctors recommend taking a daily cholesterol-lowering drug called a statin. “A statin is a drug that helps reduce the production of cholesterol in the liver,” Owens said. “It primarily works by lowering the LDL cholesterol, which is the so-called bad cholesterol.” The task force now recommends that adults age 40 and older at risk for cardiovascular disease take a daily statin. The recommendations appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association. But it’s not just Americans who could benefit.

Worldwide study

An earlier study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that most people at risk for cardiovascular disease would be better off taking a statin drug. The study involved a racially diverse group of people on six continents, living in 21 countries, including men and women.

All were at risk for developing cardiovascular disease. In a five-year period, those taking a statin reduced their risk of heart attacks, strokes or heart-related deaths by 24 percent. “The benefits of statins are a reduction in heart attack, strokes and death,” Owens said. “And in patients who are at elevated risk for cardiovascular disease, the benefits outweigh the harms.”

The researchers say this shows a very simple approach to treatment that can be provided around the world: Have older adults at risk of developing cardiovascular disease take a statin. They say the medication is inexpensive enough to make this practical.

http://www.voanews.com/a/study-stati...e/3665482.html

[Trumpster]

Cholesterol does not cause heart disease in the elderly and trying to reduce it with drugs like statins is a waste of time, an international group of experts has claimed.
A review of research involving nearly 70,000 people found there was no link between what has traditionally been considered “bad” cholesterol and the premature deaths of over 60-year-olds from cardiovascular disease.
Published in the BMJ Open journal, the new study found that 92 percent of people with a high cholesterol level lived longer.


The authors have called for a re-evaluation of the guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, because “the benefits from statin treatment have been exaggerated”.
The results have prompted immediate scepticism from other academics, however, who questioned the paper’s balance.
High cholesterol is commonly caused by an unhealthy diet, and eating high levels of saturated fat in particular, as well as smoking.
It is carried in the blood attached to proteins called lipoproteins and has been traditionally linked to cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease and aortic disease

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2...esearch-finds/

I think good points and bad points were made on both sides of this issue, but, due to time constraints, I'll have to come back to it later. Interesting topic!

[Trumpster]

Cholesterol does not cause heart disease in the elderly and trying to reduce it with drugs like statins is a waste of time, an international group of experts has claimed.
A review of research involving nearly 70,000 people found there was no link between what has traditionally been considered “bad” cholesterol and the premature deaths of over 60-year-olds from cardiovascular disease.
Published in the BMJ Open journal, the new study found that 92 percent of people with a high cholesterol level lived longer.


The authors have called for a re-evaluation of the guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, a hardening and narrowing of the arteries, because “the benefits from statin treatment have been exaggerated”.
The results have prompted immediate scepticism from other academics, however, who questioned the paper’s balance.
High cholesterol is commonly caused by an unhealthy diet, and eating high levels of saturated fat in particular, as well as smoking.
It is carried in the blood attached to proteins called lipoproteins and has been traditionally linked to cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease and aortic disease

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2...esearch-finds/

I agree that high cholesterol by itself is not likely to cause heart disease. But the same diet that causes high cholesterol often causes inflammation. Inflammation (oxygen free radicals) then turns the LDL cholesterol toxic/rancid. That's a simplified explanation. It's not a new theory but I think it's a good one.

The "international group of experts" said that cholesterol doesn't cause heart disease in the elderly. Therefore, if I'm not mistaken, I believe it would be called an association. Then they said that 92 percent of people with a high cholesterol level lived longer. I believe that would be called an association too. In other words, I don't think high cholesterol caused them to live longer. If so, where's the proof? They didn't offer any.

I don't think more studies are needed to find the ultimate cause of heart disease. There have been some large long-term studies pointing to lifestyle-choices as the all important factor. There was the Okinawa study, the China Study, the Mediterranean study and the Seventh Day Adventist study, among others. Enough with the studies already. .....Eat a healthy diet, get moderate exercise, practice stress control and don't smoke etc..

[decedent]

Cholesterol plays a role.


What I understand, as a layperson, is this: LDL particles damage the endophilial cells lining the inside of arteries and will lodge themselves in the arterial wall, causing inflammation. Macrophages attempt to digest the cholesterol, but they digest too much ad become foam cells. Fibrous plaques encase these, further hardening and narrowing the arteries.


Reducing inflammation, including foods and drugs that decrease inflammation, can help stop this cycle.

According to Harvard, these foods reduce inflammation:

• tomatoes.
• olive oil.
• green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards.
• nuts like almonds and walnuts.
• fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines.
• fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges.

In short, we're all gonna die.