[PHNUTR-L] Concern over 'aggressive' cholesterol recommendations

[Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD]

Colleagues, the following is FYI and does not necessarily reflect my own
opinion. I have no further knowledge of the topic. If you do not wish to
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Public release date: 1-Jun-2006
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2006-06/bmj-co053106.php

Contact: Emma Dickinson
edickinson at bmj.com
44-207-383-6529
BMJ-British Medical Journal

Concern over 'aggressive' cholesterol recommendations

Should we lower cholesterol as much as possible?; BMJ Volume 332, pp 1330-2
New US recommendations for lowering cholesterol levels would increase 
the risk of harmful side effects with no overall reduction in deaths, 
warn experts in this week's BMJ.

The American National Cholesterol Education Program has said that people 
at high risk of heart disease should be treated more aggressively.

By aggressively, it means that LDL-cholesterol concentrations should be 
lowered to less than 1.81 millimoles per litre of blood (mmol/l) in 
high-risk individuals. Current guidelines generally recommend 2.56 
mmol/l as a healthy reading.

To achieve this new goal, most of the Western world's adult population 
would be on statins, and doses would have to be more than eight times 
higher than currently used, say the authors. This would increase both 
the number and seriousness of side effects.

But clinical trials suggest that higher doses of statins do not lower 
overall mortality and side effects are generally under-reported.

The authors conclude that any reduction in non-fatal events may be 
outweighed by more numerous and more severe adverse effects.
-- 
Kathrynne Holden, MS, RD < fivestar at nutritionucanlivewith.com >
"Ask the Parkinson Dietitian"  http://www.parkinson.org/
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