High levels of LDL-C, known as bad cholesterol, has been considered a significant cause of heart disease – the world’s leading killer – for at least 50 years.
But the new study, based on data of around 1.3 million patients, suggests doling out statins as the main form of treatment for heart disease is of ‘doubtful benefit.’ A team of 17 physicians from across the world discovered high LDL-C levels were unrelated to a higher risk of heart disease in the general population.
This also remained true for patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic condition that causes them to have abnormal levels of LDL-C. The study, published in the Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, also found no link between high levels of LDL-C and atherosclerosis.
This is despite medical literature stating fatty deposits that clog arteries – known medically as atherosclerosis – are made up of cholesterol. And heart attack patients were shown to have lower than normal cholesterol levels of LDL-C.
