Dangers of Low Cholesterol

Dangers of Low Cholesterol

New cholesterol drugs have recently been approved.  The estimated annual cost will be $7,000.0 to $12,000.00 annually per patient.  These drugs will take an entirely new approach to cholesterol reduction as compared to statins.  One of these new approved drugs will be sold under the name Repatha.

Is cholesterol reduction helpful?  Some research points to cholesterol reduction as dangerous:

1. Lowering cholesterol may increase violence and aggression. Low cholesterol levels are associated with habitually violent tendencies of homicidal offenders under the influence of alcohol.  One possible explanation was discussed in the British Journal of Psychiatry in 1993: " . . .Low membrane cholesterol decreases the number of serotonin receptors . . . .a lowered serum cholesterol may contribute to a decrease in brain serotonin."

2. Cholesterol is needed to fight cancer .  The inverse relationship between cholesterol levels and the risk for a variety of cancers, and mortality associated with cancer, has been known about since the late 80's.  When so called "bad" ldl-cholesterol is administered to a culture of highly malignant, multi drug resistant leukemia cells, the cells lose their resistance to chemotherapy.

3. Cholesterol is needed to prevent hemorrhagic stroke .  This was noted back in 1994 in British Medical Journal, researchers found: "The only cause of death attributable to low serum cholesterol concentration was hemorrhagic stroke."

4. Cholesterol is needed for memory .  Low HDL cholesterol has been identified as a risk factor for deficit and decline in memory in midlife.  In Parkinson's, higher total cholesterol is associated with slower progression. Statin drugs are required by the FDA to display a warning that they may affect memory.  Medline lists 6 studies specific to statin induced memory impairment.

5. Cholesterol is needed for longevity .  A study published in PLoS in 2011, telomere length – the shoestring cap-like ends of the chromosomes which prevent DNA damage associated with cellular aging - was linked to higher LDL and total cholesterol levels.  The longer the length of these protective caps, the higher the cholesterol.  Several studies indicate that lower cholesterol is associated with increased mortality.

6. Cholesterol helps us fight infection. It has been observed that a cholesterol rich diet improves patients with tuberculosis, leading researchers to suggest, “cholesterol should be used as a complementary measure in anti-tubercular treatment."  Cholesterol lowering drugs, incidentally, exhibit immunosuppressive and potent immunotoxic properties, likely in part due to their cholesterol depleting effects.