Does it matter what your cholesterol levels are? It does if you want to live a long, full life. Three large prospective studies were reviewed, looking at cholesterol levels and their affect on longevity.
The Chicago Heart Association study checked cholesterol levels in 11,017 young men, aged 18 to 39. Then the men were divided into two groups based on their cholesterol levels. After 22 years of follow-up, results showed that those men with cholesterol levels less than 200 lived 6.1 years longer than those with cholesterol levels of 240 or higher.
The next large group, the Peoples Gas Company study, checked cholesterol levels in 69,205 men aged 35 to 39. After 34 years of study, researchers found that those men with cholesterol levels less than 200 lived 8.7 years longer than those with cholesterol levels of 240 or higher.
The third group was the MRFIT study on 69, 205 men for 16 years. Using the same cholesterol level criteria, those with lower levels (less than 200) lived 3.8 years longer than those with high cholesterol levels (240+).
These are remarkable differences in increased longevity – four to nine years of added life, on average. This is very comparable to the affects of smoking on longevity. A simple cholesterol blood test remains one of the best biomarkers, or predictors, of life expectancy.
Keep It Low!
Do you know what your cholesterol level is? If not, get it checked! If it's over 200, take action immediately to bring it down. The earlier in life you start, the better your chances for a long, healthy life. In these same studies, men who had total cholesterol levels around 160 reduced their risk even further (by half or more, compared to men with cholesterol levels between 160 and 199).
An ideal goal, recommended for anyone with existing heart disease or diabetes, is to keep your total cholesterol level at 160 mg/dL or less and your LDL cholesterol level (the "bad" cholesterol) less than 100 mg/dL. |
