| For medical practitioners and the general public - Cholesterol Journal Article Catalog. |
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| Serum cholesterol concentration and coronary heart disease in population with low cholesterol concentrations Chen, Z., R. Peto, et al. (1991), Bmj 303(6797): 276-82. Abstract: OBJECTIVE--To examine the relation between serum cholesterol concentration and mortality (from coronary heart disease and from other causes) below the range of cholesterol values generally seen in Western populations. DESIGN--Prospective observational study based on 8-13 years of follow up of subjects in a population with low cholesterol concentrations. SETTING--Urban Shanghai, China. SUBJECTS--9021 Chinese men and women aged 35-64 at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Death from coronary heart disease and other causes. RESULTS--The average serum cholesterol concentration was 4.2 mmol/l at baseline examination, and only 43 (7%) of the deaths that occurred during 8-13 years of follow up were attributed to coronary heart disease. There was a strongly positive, and apparently independent, relation between serum cholesterol concentration and death from coronary heart disease (z = 3.47, p less than 0.001), and within the range of usual serum cholesterol concentration studied (3.8-4.7 mmol/l) there was no evidence of any threshold. After appropriate adjustment for the regression dilution bias, a 4 (SD 1)% difference in usual cholesterol concentration was associated with a 21 (SD 6)% (95% confidence interval 9% to 35%) difference in mortality from coronary heart disease. There was no significant relation between serum cholesterol concentration and death from stroke or all types of cancer. The 79 deaths due to liver cancer or other chronic liver disease were inversely related to cholesterol concentration at baseline. CONCLUSION--Blood cholesterol concentration was directly related to mortality from coronary heart disease even in those with what was, by Western standards, a "low" cholesterol concentration. There was no good evidence of an adverse effect of cholesterol on other causes of death. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration and death from suicide in men: Paris prospective study I Zureik, M., D. Courbon, et al. (1996), Bmj 313(7058): 649-51. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether low serum cholesterol concentration or changing serum cholesterol concentration is associated with risk of suicide in men. DESIGN: Cohort study with annual repeat measurements of serum cholesterol concentration (for up to four years). SETTING: Paris, France. SUBJECTS: 6393 working men, aged 43-52 in 1967-72, who had at least three measurements of serum cholesterol concentration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Individual change over time in serum cholesterol concentration (estimated using within person linear regression method); death from suicide during average of 17 years' follow up after last examination. RESULTS: 32 men committed suicide during follow up. After adjustment for age and other factors, relative risk of suicide for men with low average serum cholesterol concentration (< 4.78 mmol/l) compared with those with average serum cholesterol concentration of 4.78-6.21 mmol/l was 3.16 (95% confidence interval 1.38 to 7.22, P = 0.007). Men whose serum cholesterol concentration decreased by more than 0.13 mmol/l a year had multivariate adjusted relative risk of 2.17 (0.97 to 4.84, P = 0.056) compared with those whose cholesterol remained stable (change of < or = 0.13 mmol/l a year). CONCLUSION: Both low serum cholesterol concentration and declining cholesterol concentration were associated with increased risk of death from suicide in men. Although there is some evidence in favour of a concomitant rather than a causal effect for interpreting these associations, long term surveillance of subjects included in trials of lipid lowering treatments seems warranted. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration and mortality from accidents, suicide, and other violent causes Vartiainen, E., P. Puska, et al. (1994), Bmj 309(6952): 445-7. Abstract: OBJECTIVE--To study the association of mortality from accidents, suicides, and other violent deaths with serum cholesterol concentration. DESIGN--Baseline measurements in two randomly chosen independent cohorts were carried out in 1972 and 1977. Mortality was monitored over 10-15 years through the national death registry. SETTING--Eastern Finland. SUBJECTS--The two cohorts comprised men (n = 10,898) and women (n = 11,534) born between 1913 and 1947. There were 193 deaths due to accidents, suicides, and violence among men and 43 among women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Mortality from accidents, suicides, and other violent deaths was used as the end point. Deaths from these causes were pooled together in the analyses. RESULTS--Serum cholesterol concentration was not associated with mortality from accidents, suicides, and other violent deaths in the univariate analyses or in the proportional hazards regression analyses including smoking, systolic blood pressure, alcohol drinking, and education. In both genders smoking was more prevalent among those who died from accidents, suicides, and other violent causes than from other causes. Frequent use of alcohol increased mortality from these causes. CONCLUSION--The risk of accidents, suicides, and other violent deaths was not related to serum cholesterol concentration, whereas such deaths were more prevalent in smokers and alcohol drinkers. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration and postpartum depression. Authors should read the literature that they cite Smith, G. D. (1997), Bmj 314(7074): 144. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration and postpartum depression. Oestrogen may have been a confounder Luckas, M., W. Buckett, et al. (1997), Bmj 314(7074): 143-4. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration and risk of brain cancer Herrinton, L. J. and G. D. Friedman (1995), Bmj 310(6976): 367-8. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration and risk of primary brain tumours Knekt, P., A. Reunanen, et al. (1991), Bmj 302(6768): 90. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration before and after streptokinase in acute myocardial infarction Chua, T. P., I. D. Fry, et al. (1993), J Intern Med 234(6): 603-5. Abstract: OBJECTIVE. To determine if serum cholesterol concentration should be measured before or after streptokinase therapy within the first 24 h of myocardial infarction. DESIGN. Prospective study of patients receiving streptokinase therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). SETTING. Coronary care unit of a district general hospital. SUBJECTS. Thirty-one patients (26 men aged 38-74 years, mean 60 years) admitted with a definite diagnosis of myocardial infarction. INTERVENTION. Streptokinase therapy given intravenously at a mean of 5 h (range 1.5-15 h) after the onset of chest pain. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. Serum cholesterol concentration just prior to, and 11.5 h (range 4-20.5 h) after streptokinase administration. RESULTS. There was a significant mean fall of 0.4 mmol l-1 (P = 0.002, 95% CI = 0.2-0.6) in serum cholesterol concentration from a pre-streptokinase concentration of 7.0 (range 5.3-9.9) to a post-streptokinase concentration of 6.6 (range 4.9-9.9). In the patients who showed a fall in cholesterol concentration, the magnitude of fall correlated with the baseline cholesterol concentration (r = 0.66, P < 0.01) but not with peak cardiac enzyme activities (r = 0.05, P > 0.2 for aspartate aminotransferase; r = 0.10, P > 0.2 for lactate dehydrogenase), time from onset of chest pain to post-streptokinase measurement (r = 0.27, P > 0.2) or time from streptokinase administration to post-streptokinase measurement (r = 0.01, P > 0.2). CONCLUSION. Serum cholesterol concentration may be underestimated when measured after streptokinase therapy, particularly when the true basal value is high. Further management of this risk factor may be based more accurately on its measurement before than after streptokinase therapy within the first 24 h of AMI. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration of mice selected for litter size and its relationship to litter size and testis mass Ribeiro, E. L., R. J. Kittok, et al. (1994), J Anim Sci 72(11): 2943-7. Abstract: This study assessed the genetic relationship between litter size and serum cholesterol concentration and between litter size and testis mass in mice. Mice were from a long-term experiment in which selection had occurred for 21 generations in three replicated lines per criterion of selection (LS = selection to increase litter size based on number born; LC = unselected control). Thereafter, random mating within lines was practiced. Serum cholesterol concentrations were evaluated in female and male mice from two replicates at Generation 29 and one replicate at Generation 30. Body weights and blood samples were collected from primiparous females 8 d after weaning their pups. Data from males were collected as they came out of breeding cages. In addition, the testes were excised, stripped clean of connective tissue and the epididymides, and weighed. Means for body mass of females and males, serum cholesterol, number born, and testis mass were as follows: 35.2 vs 32.5 g (P <.09), 33.9 vs 30.7 g (P <.08), 117.5 vs 110.5 mg/dL (P <.08), 14.0 vs 10.3 pups (P <.04), and 126 vs 122 mg, respectively, for LS and LC. Serum cholesterol was greater in males than in females (133.3 vs 95.1 mg/dL; P <.001), but there was no interaction between sex and selection criterion. Serum cholesterol concentration was not correlated phenotypically to number born or body mass, but it had a small negative relationship with testis mass. Therefore, we concluded that selection for litter size tended to increase serum cholesterol in addition to the increase in number born but did not change testis mass. |
| Serum cholesterol concentration, depression, and anxiety Agargun, M. Y. (2002), Acta Psychiatr Scand 105(2): 81-3. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations among Navajo Indians Sugarman, J. R., T. J. Gilbert, et al. (1992), Public Health Rep 107(1): 92-9. Abstract: Navajo Indians have been reported by earlier investigators to have low concentrations of serum lipids and a low prevalence of hyperlipidemia, as well as low rates of ischemic heart disease. However, no data on serum lipid concentrations among Navajos have been reported for more than two decades. The authors conducted a study to determine the distribution of concentrations of serum total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride among persons 25-74 years old living in a representative community on the Navajo Indian reservation. Data are reported for 255 subjects, 105 men and 150 women, ages 25-74 years. The authors compared these data to those for the general population as determined by the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES II). TC concentrations among Navajo men were similar to those from NHANES II. TC concentrations among younger Navajo women were similar to those for women younger than 55 years from NHANES II, but were significantly lower among older Navajo women. While 27.6 percent of men ages 25-74 years studied in NHANES II had TC concentrations greater than 240 milligrams per deciliter, 33.8 percent of Navajo men had similarly elevated TC. However, the prevalence of serum TC concentrations greater than 240 milligrams per deciliter among Navajo women (17.5 percent) was about half that among women studied in NHANES II (32.9 percent). A similar pattern was found for low density lipoprotein cholesterol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations and all-cause mortality in older people Chyou, P. H. and E. D. Eaker (2000), Age Ageing 29(1): 69-74. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To study the impact of serum cholesterol concentrations on the total risk of mortality in older people. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study with a follow-up of 8-10 years. SUBJECTS: A total of 989 subjects (367 men and 622 women) aged 65 and over, living in the Marshfield Epidemiologic Study Area at the time of their first complete serum lipid assessment. METHODS: We calculated sex-specific mean levels of serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein and triglycerides, and the ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein, for subjects who died of all causes and for those who survived to the end of follow-up, with adjustment for relevant covariates. We obtained estimates of the risk factor-adjusted sex-specific relative risk for all-cause mortality with approximate quartiles of serum cholesterol concentrations by proportional hazards regression models. We also evaluated the possible combined effects of age, sex and cholesterol on all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A high level of high-density lipoprotein was significantly associated with a low total risk of mortality in older men. Conversely, an elevated ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein was directly related to an increased total risk of mortality in older men. Age and high-density lipoprotein level had a significant synergistic effect on all-cause mortality for the elderly men. We found little or no association in women between all-cause mortality and any of the lipid measures studied. CONCLUSIONS: An increased ratio of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein appears to be associated with an increase in risk for all-cause mortality in men aged 65 and over, while an elevated level of high-density lipoprotein, considered alone, seems to be protective against mortality from all causes in men aged 65-74 years, but this effect diminishes over the age of 75. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations and mood states in violent psychiatric patients: an experience sampling study Hillbrand, M., B. M. Waite, et al. (2000), J Behav Med 23(6): 519-29. Abstract: The well-documented negative association between serum cholesterol and aggressive behavior has led Kaplan to propose a cholesterol-serotonin hypothesis of aggression. According to this hypothesis, low dietary cholesterol intake leads to depressed central serotonergic activity, which itself has been reported in numerous studies of violent individuals. In the present study, 25 violent psychiatric patients participated in a microbehavioral experience sampling procedure to examine differences in self-reports of affective and cognitive experiences as a function of serum cholesterol concentrations. For 7 days, they wore signaling devices that emitted an average of seven signals a day. Following each signal, patients filled out a mood questionnaire. Total serum cholesterol (TSC) concentration was positively associated with measures of affect, cognitive efficiency, activation, and sociability, suggesting a link between low TSC and dysphoria. These findings are consistent with the cholesterol-serotonin hypothesis and with the substantive literature linking both aggression and depression to depressed central serotonergic activity. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations are associated with visuomotor speed in men: findings from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994 Zhang, J., M. F. Muldoon, et al. (2004), Am J Clin Nutr 80(2): 291-8. Abstract: BACKGROUND: Current international recommendations advise aggressive treatment of relative hypercholesterolemia despite an incomplete understanding of any neurobehavioral effects of low or lowered serum cholesterol. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to examine the relation between serum cholesterol concentrations and performance in immediate memory, visuomotor speed, and coding speed tests. DESIGN: The participants were 4110 adults aged 20-59 y who completed a set of neurobehavioral tests and had blood specimens collected as a part of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. RESULTS: After adjustment for sociodemographic variables, serum trace elements and vitamins, dietary energy intake, and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, we found inverse linear associations of serum total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol with visuomotor speed in men. The least-squares mean (+/- SE) visuomotor speeds were 231.6 +/- 2.6, 224.0 +/- 2.2, and 218.9 +/- 2.5 ms, respectively, for men with serum total cholesterol concentrations below the 25th, between the 25th and the 75th, and at or above the 75th percentile (P for trend < 0.001) and were 231.7 +/- 2.7, 225.8 +/- 2.4, and 214.1 +/- 2.3 ms, respectively, for men with a non-HDL-cholesterol concentration below the 25th, between the 25th and the 75th, and at or above the 75th percentile (P for trend < 0.001). No significant associations were observed between memory or coding speed and the selected serum cholesterol measures in men, and the scores of the 3 neurobehavioral tests were unrelated to serum cholesterol in women. CONCLUSION: Low serum total cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol are associated with slow visuomotor speed in young and middle-aged men. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide Gallerani, M., R. Manfredini, et al. (1995), Bmj 310(6995): 1632-6. Abstract: OBJECTIVE--To evaluate whether people who have committed parasuicide have low serum cholesterol concentrations. DESIGN--Results of blood tests in subjects admitted to hospital for parasuicide compared with those of a control group of non-suicidal subjects; comparison in subgroup of parasuicide subjects of two sets of blood test results (one set from admission for parasuicide and the other from admission for some other illness). SETTING--General hospital, Ferrara, Italy. SUBJECTS--331 parasuicide subjects aged 44 (SD 21) years (109 with two sets of blood test results) and 331 controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Serum cholesterol concentrations and possible association with parasuicide, considering sex, violence of method of parasuicide, and underlying psychiatric disorder. RESULTS--Lower serum cholesterol concentrations (4.96 (SD 1.16) mmol/l) were found in the parasuicide subjects than in the controls (5.43 (1.30); P < 0.001), regardless of sex and degree of violence of parasuicide method. Both men and women with two sets of blood test results had lower cholesterol concentrations after parasuicide. Linear regression analysis showed that the difference in cholesterol concentrations was significantly related to the length of time between the taking of the two sets of blood samples. CONCLUSION--The study showed low cholesterol concentrations after parasuicide. This finding agrees with previous studies, which suggest an association between low cholesterol concentration and suicide. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide Seneviratne, S. L., W. M. Warnasooriya, et al. (1999), Ceylon Med J 44(1): 11-3. Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether people who have committed parasuicide have low serum cholesterol concentrations. METHOD: All subjects admitted to the University Medical Unit, Ragama after parasuicide from 1.3.96 to 31.1.97 were matched for age, sex, presence of diabetes and arterial hypertension, substance abuse, body mass index and socioeconomic status with controls. Venous blood samples for cholesterol estimation were collected from parasuicides within 24 hours of admission. RESULTS: Analysis was done on 168 parasuicide patients males 74; mean age for males 24 years (SD 6.2), females 19 years (SD 3.3) and 168 matched controls. Of the parasuicide subjects, 33 had a psychiatric illness and 135 were considered to have impulsive personalities. The serum cholesterol level in parasuicide patients was not significantly different from that in controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study, the first from a developing country, did not show an association between low serum cholesterol concentrations and parasuicide. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide. Depression may cause low cholesterol Law, M. R. and N. J. Wald (1995), Bmj 311(7008): 807. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide. No association between low cholesterol and violent death Strandberg, T. (1995), Bmj 311(7008): 807-8. |
| Serum cholesterol concentrations in parasuicide. Scottish study does not replicate findings Ryan, M. and F. E. Murray (1995), Bmj 311(7008): 807. |
| Serum cholesterol correlations with atherosclerosis at autopsy Stehbens, W. E. and R. L. Smith (1997), Am Clin Lab 16(3): 14-5. |