The so-called bad cholesterol, LDL, may not be a cause for concern for older people. At least not if it's high!
According to a new analysis of all earlier studies, people over 60 with high levels of LDL live longer and are not at higher risk of heart disease.
Aseem Malhotra, a top cardiologist, says: "The scientific evidence clearly reveals that we must stop fear-mongering when it comes to cholesterol and heart disease and focus instead on insulin resistance, the most important risk factor as a precursor to many chronic diseases."
Listen to Dr. Malhotra commenting on this research:
The Times: Bad Cholesterol 'Helps You Live Longer' BMJ Open: Lack of an Association or an Inverse Association Between Low-Density- Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Mortality in the Elderly: a Systematic ReviewSo what does this all mean? It means for people over 60 it's doubtful if there's any cause to worry about higher LDL cholesterol. Statistically it may mean that the chance of living a long life is improved.