High LDL Cholesterol is Bad for You. So is Low LDL.
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High cholesterol is directly linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease. High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in particular are directly associated with increased risk of heart attack. In an effort to fight cardiovascular disease, a variety of strategies and medications have been developed to lower cholesterol. However, recently it was discovered that these measures can go too far: low cholesterol also poses a cardiovascular risk.
Dr. Xiang Gao, professor of nutritional sciences and director of the Nutritional Epidemiology Lab at Pennsylvania State University in State College, PA, led research exploring the risks associated with low cholesterol levels. The large-scale longitudinal study was published in the journal Neurology.
Dr. Gao and his colleagues examined nearly 100,000 individuals with no history of stroke, heart attack or cancer. The investigators measured the participants’ LDL cholesterol levels for nine years.
Analysis of the data allowed researchers to determine the relationship between LDL levels and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The study controlled factors such as age, blood pressure, medications, and gender.
Current knowledge suggests that LDL cholesterol levels should remain below 100 mg/dL to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, this study revealed that cholesterol levels below 70 mg/dL were associated with a significantly higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke than LDL levels greater than or equal to 70 mg/dL.
The lower the LDL level, the higher the risk. Hemorrhagic stroke was 169% higher among participants whose LDL cholesterol levels were lower than 50 mg/dL compared those individuals whose LDL levels ranged from 70-99 mg/dL.
The conclusion of the team’s research was that balance in cholesterol is essential for optimal health. Cholesterol levels that are either too high or too low both increase the risk of serious health consequences.
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