High cholesterol isn’t always a bad thing, new study finds

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-09-28 14:02:34 | Updated at 2024-09-30 13:25:33 2 days ago

High cholesterol isn’t always a bad thing, new study finds
South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | September 26, 2024 | Cindy Krischer Goodman

Posted on 09/28/2024 5:29:59 AM PDT by Red Badger

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans. However, having high cholesterol levels doesn’t always lead to heart disease, a South Florida cardiac specialist has discovered.

Dr. Jonathan Fialkow, deputy director of clinical cardiology at Baptist Health Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, said a study of 80 people on the low-carbohydrate ketogenic (KETO) diet for nearly five years found that high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C (often referred to as bad cholesterol), didn’t always lead to coronary plaque buildup or heart disease.

“This is because they (participants on the KETO diet) are metabolically healthy,” Fialkow said. “This shows that high LDLs might not be the risk for heart disease we thought it would be.”

This study, published in the American College of Cardiology Journal, compared 80 people with an average age of 55 on low-carb/ high-protein and fat diets with 80 people enrolled in a Miami heart study and not on a special diet.

“They had the same level of disease risk,” Fialkow said. “The study found no increased progression in either group.”

Researchers concluded there was no association between cholesterol levels and plaque burden in either group. So, as long as people do not consume lots of sugar and carbohydrates, they may not be at risk for heart disease, even if they have high cholesterol.

The results could influence how doctors approach cholesterol management in patients, Fiaklow said. Doctors should not ignore high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) when treating patients, but they now know other factors should be considered before prescribing medications. “Patient risk assessment should be personalized and precise,” Fialkow said. “The pushback comes from generations who believe fat is bad and cholesterol is bad, but that is not substantiated by evidence,” he said.

(Excerpt) Read more at sun-sentinel.com ...

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1 posted on 09/28/2024 5:29:59 AM PDT by Red Badger

To: Red Badger

But continue to take your pills.

This is what I think and doesn't apply to all meds.

Some pills will change your "numbers"...but they do not change your condition. Your body is constantly changing. Stop the pills and the numbers will change back.

All the people I know that were on statins...stopped taking them.

2 posted on 09/28/2024 5:34:28 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (mY)

To: Red Badger

>> “The pushback comes from generations who believe fat is bad and cholesterol is bad, but that is not substantiated by evidence,”<<

Odd isn’t it? You need Cholesterol to make your brain function properly, so let’s artificially lower it. Almost like they’re trying to dumb everyone down. Oh, right, I guess the Fluoride wasn’t doing it properly.

3 posted on 09/28/2024 5:35:49 AM PDT by Malsua

To: Sacajaweau

4 posted on 09/28/2024 5:35:55 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegals are put up in 5 Star hotels....................)

To: Red Badger

I’m thinking that the medical/food/nutrition community has finally OVERSTEPPED and are making people sick as hell and they’re FINALLY wising up to it.

Another example - A 65 year old guy that I know was told to get his blood pressure down to 120 (the high number!) - not being an idiot, he found that 153 is optimal for his age, so that’s his real target. Needless to say, he won’t get near stains either.

5 posted on 09/28/2024 5:38:57 AM PDT by BobL

To: Malsua

I did a little test. I ate cheese and crackers every day (maybe 4 oz) for a week along with my regular diet which also included eggs, whole milk.

Then I took a test and voila....my bad cholesterol was up.

A couple months later...during which I ate no cheese....I did the test again.....voila....my bad cholesterol had gone down to within a normal range.

I mean...think about it....they tell you to fast to start with....

I'm sure nothing really changed in my body during those 2 cheese free months.

6 posted on 09/28/2024 5:59:53 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (mY)

To: Red Badger

Probably unrelated, but at least a true story.

I can eat carbs at breakfast and dinner with no immediate problem. At lunchtime it’s another matter. If I have a sandwich and a cookie, I’ll fall asleep for at least two hours in the afternoon. I don’t get to make it up by staying up late at night and getting up early in the morning.

Now I try to limit myself to a half sandwich at lunch. When I do that, I can stay awake. It adds at least two more wakeful hours to my day.

7 posted on 09/28/2024 6:16:45 AM PDT by ChessExpert (Scarborough: "This is the Best Biden ever.")

To: Sacajaweau

Yet statin use results in 20-30% lower all cause mortality.

The function may not be well understood, but the outcomes are pretty dramatic.

I’ll keep taking the pills until someone explains to me why the vastly lower death rate is somehow a bad thing.

8 posted on 09/28/2024 6:35:58 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie ("Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am! Send me." )

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