The cholesterol hypothesis: time for the obituary?

The cholesterol hypothesis links cholesterol intake and blood levels to cardiovascular disease. It has had enormous impact on health care and society during decades, but has little or no scientific backing that is relevant for the human species. Apparently, the hypothesis is false and should be buried.

Formal comment on "Systematic review of the predictors of statin adherence for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease".

Statins have been prescribed for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) for nearly 3 decades. Throughout this period key opinion leaders in the field have been dismayed by the high rate of non-adherence of patients to follow their statin regimen. Hope et al., [1] have addressed this issue by providing a systematic review of research on predictors of statin adherence for primary prevention of CVD. However, their review does not address the ongoing debate as to whether statin treatment is warranted for primary prevention of CVD, nor does it adequately address concerns regarding adverse effects of statins. We have therefore written a commentary which provides a broader perspective on the benefits versus harms of statin therapy. Our perspective of the literature is that non-adherence to statin treatment for primary prevention of CVD is justified because the meager benefits are more than offset by the extensive harms.

Cholesterol does not cause coronary heart disease in contrast to stress.

The belief that coronary atherosclerosis is due to high cholesterol from increased saturated fat intake originated from experiments in herbivorous animals. It was reinforced by reports allegedly demonstrating this sequence of events in various populations but ignoring contradictory data. The idea has been perpetuated by powerful forces using similar tactics to preserve the profit and the reputations of those who promote this doctrine. Opponents find it difficult to publish their scientifically supported opinions. The advent of statins has further fuelled this fallacious lipid hypothesis, despite compelling evidence that their effect is not due to cholesterol lowering and that serious side effects have been suppressed and alleged benefits have been hyped. The adverse effects of the cholesterol campaign on health, quality of life, the economy and medical research are inestimable. It is imperative that public health officials, physicians and patients are apprised of proof that it is misguided, malicious and malignant.

LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease: a comprehensive review of the current literature.

INTRODUCTION: For half a century, a high level of total cholesterol (TC) or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) has been considered to be the major cause of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and statin treatment has been widely promoted for cardiovascular prevention. However, there is an increasing understanding that the mechanisms are more complicated and that statin treatment, in particular when used as primary prevention, is of doubtful benefit. Areas covered: The authors of three large reviews recently published by statin advocates have attempted to validate the current dogma. This article delineates the serious errors in these three reviews as well as other obvious falsifications of the cholesterol hypothesis. Expert commentary: Our search for falsifications of the cholesterol hypothesis confirms that it is unable to satisfy any of the Bradford Hill criteria for causality and that the conclusions of the authors of the three reviews are based on misleading statistics, exclusion of unsuccessful trials and by ignoring numerous contradictory observations.

Lack of an association or an inverse association between low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in the elderly: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: It is well known that total cholesterol becomes less of a risk factor or not at all for all-cause and cardiovascular (CV) mortality with increasing age, but as little is known as to whether low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), one component of total cholesterol, is associated with mortality in the elderly, we decided to investigate this issue. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND OUTCOME MEASURES: We sought PubMed for cohort studies, where LDL-C had been investigated as a risk factor for all-cause and/or CV mortality in individuals ≥60 years from the general population. RESULTS: We identified 19 cohort studies including 30 cohorts with a total of 68 094 elderly people, where all-cause mortality was recorded in 28 cohorts and CV mortality in 9 cohorts. Inverse association between all-cause mortality and LDL-C was seen in 16 cohorts (in 14 with statistical significance) representing 92% of the number of participants, where this association was recorded. In the rest, no association was found. In two cohorts, CV mortality was highest in the lowest LDL-C quartile and with statistical significance; in seven cohorts, no association was found. CONCLUSIONS: High LDL-C is inversely associated with mortality in most people over 60 years. This finding is inconsistent with the cholesterol hypothesis (ie, that cholesterol, particularly LDL-C, is inherently atherogenic). Since elderly people with high LDL-C live as long or longer than those with low LDL-C, our analysis provides reason to question the validity of the cholesterol hypothesis. Moreover, our study provides the rationale for a re-evaluation of guidelines recommending pharmacological reduction of LDL-C in the elderly as a component of cardiovascular disease prevention strategies.

Bioelectromagnetic and subtle energy medicine: the interface between mind and matter.

The concept of a "life energy" can be found in many cultures in the present time, as well as in past eras reaching back to the ancients. Variously called qi (chi), ki, the "four humors,"prana, "archaeus,""cosmic aether,""universal fluid,""animal magnetism," and "odic force," among other names, this purported biofield is beginning to yield its properties and interactions to the scientific method. Subtle energy is the term used in this chapter, which traces the recent history of subtle energy studies from Harold Saxton Burr and Björn Nordenström to Jim Oschman and Jacques Benveniste. This work takes signaling in living systems from the chemical/molecular to the physical/atomic level of communication. Effects on heart rate variability, stress response, inflammation, and the vagus nerve have been demonstrated and raise the question--Can the power of subtle energies be harnessed for health enhancement? It is fully accepted that good health depends on good communication both within the organism and between the organism and its environment. Sophisticated imaging procedures brought to bear on telomere, stem cell, and genetic research are confirming the ability of meditation and some other traditional practices to promote optimal health through stress reduction.