The Cholesterol Scam

This is the continuation to the previous post and the Cholesterol series (1, 2, 3) Just before going further on the Total cholesterol story, a quick recap of the key points.

Cholesterol is a vital substance for life. Hence, body synthesis of its own, if not provided thru diet. All our body cells, heart and brain are made of cholesterol and need of cholesterol to function.  

There is nothing called Bad or Good cholesterol, it’s a fictitious term. Both LDL and HDL are not cholesterol. They are lipo-proteins, two different transport mechanisms for cholesterol and both LDL and HDL are essential for body functioning.

Cholesterol deposit on the Artery due to the inflammation. Since, cholesterol has a pro-inflammatory property.

Study published on Journal of Immunotoxicology (above), which tells cholesterol sulfate inhibits Leukotriene synthesis. Leukotrienes are the key for pro-inflammatory, immune-signaling lipids that initiates free radical destruction in the body.

The last post ended with 1) who fixed the total cholesterol level up to 200 as a healthy level?  2) On what basis they arrived to this magical number 200.

National Lipid Association {(joins hand with National Institutes of Health and other medical associations) who is backed and funded by pharmacology industry} fixes the so called “Normal or Optimal” level of Cholesterol.

Before going to the number 200 md/dL, please bear in mind that, they never talked about the lower level. In other words, what is the range that considered dangerously low? (No cholesterol = No life) “Normal” total cholesterol level was initially at 240, later to 220 and today (now) fixed at “200”. Why? Read further.

If one can define, High and Normal level or range, there should be a "minimal level" also to be exist. Since, cholesterol is the vital substance, what is the minimal level? Why it’s not defined?  I don’t know………. (refer normal vs abnormal)

Okay, let’s begin with the magical number “200”.

As per the data from the Framingham Study the total cholesterol level of the healthy subjects varies from 105 – 343 mg/dl  (or 2.8 to 8.8 mmol/l)  {Framingham Study data’s are available online. Google and find yourself) same data had been plotted below in normal distribution or bell curve.  (Learn basics of normal distribution curve here )

After 26 years, the study data had been plotted with and without CAD. Two curves are plotted one with those who are affected by CAD (Red in colour) another the people who are heathy or without CAD (Blue in colour)  {CAD - Coronary artery disease is the narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, Known as atherosclerosis}

Look at these graphs carefully…….

A – The brown region represent (150 – 200 mg/dl) the absolute risk of CAD, which is about 20%

B – The green region represent (200 – 225 mg/dl) the absolute risk of CAD, which is also about 40%

A+B – both brown and green together represent (150 – 225 mg/dl) the absolute risk of CAD, which is about 60%

C - The yellow region represent (above 300 mg/dl) the absolute risk of CAD, which is also about 90%

Note : The above percentage are only the risk percentages (not actual).  Risk is nothing but, the CHANCE of something can happen later, but it’s not a GUARANTEE that it will. Example : Air bag in the car can reduce the risk of death (to certain percentage) in case of collision. But, it doesn’t guarantee it will prevent from death. Check yourself the rate of death with and without airbag accidents from the traffic statistical dept. you will surprise. Please note, I am not against Air bag! But definitely against cholesterol limits (will write a separate post of this various kind of “Risk” later)

Let’s make the further interpretation from the graph………..

So, people who have <200 mg/dl  can also have CAD.  (Lower TC level doesn’t guarantee you anything)

Just by an additional of 25 mg/dl ( 0.647 mmol/L) the risk factor doubled. Is that makes any sense ?  25 mg/dl is a pretty small value or it is the range your TC will stay between two different day. Example, If you measure the TC on daily basis for week and tabulate, you will find the +/- 25 mg/dl (approx.) is the average variation between days. In other words, it can 200 one day and 225 next day (depends on the food you eat on the previous day night) so, Sunday, Tuesday, Friday you are in risk and other days, you are out of risk !!!!!!

Most Interestingly, People are between 200 to 225 mg/dL will have more risk than people are with <200 and >225 !  Honestly, I don’t understand anything………Did You?

Finally, significant number of individuals with elevated cholesterol (from 225 to 300 mg/dL) don’t have coronary artery disease.

This is why I say, measuring total cholesterol is meaning less and doesn’t reveal anything about CAD. It’s just a mere number.

You may be thinking that fixing the TC at 200 because, that’s where the minimal risk percentage of CAD. If you think so, you are wrong. Fixing at 200 will cover only the 45% of population (only 45% will fall into normal range). Which means 55% of the population will fall in above normal or risk category and needs to be treated. In other words, you can sell cholesterol control drug to 55% of the population.

If it fixed at 225, 65% of the population will fall under the “safe” category. Rest 35% of population only buy the cholesterol control drug. More and more you increase the limit, less population falls under risk category. This is the ONLY reason it fixed at “200” in order to maximize the cholesterol control drug sale.

Over the period, (due to the false propaganda, people are advised to reduce cholesterol by cutting down the saturated fats and increase the carbohydrate) general population TC level had consistently falling. In order to target the maximum sale of the cholesterol control drug, the “normal” limits had been keep changing (from 240 to 220 and now fixed at 200) to protect the business of pharmacology industry. In return, the medical associations gets sponsorship and funds. This is why I call this is a cholesterol scam.

“200” is considered normal today. But who knows what will be the  “normal” tomorrow?  They may reduce the TC level further down, depending on the total population vs total cholesterol level. The normal limit had been adjusted to keep the sale of drug and insurance premiums high at all time. After all, cholesterol drugs is a several billion dollar business and keep growing at very good rate.

The below chart drawn from data from 164 countries (via the World Health Organization and BHF-HEARTSTATS) graphing cholesterol levels against all sorts of diseases and conditions.

Click on the image to enlarge

By analyzing the above graph……Look at the blue line, it sweeps when cholesterol falls below 200 mg/dL.  Both the green lines disappear (no diseases) when cholesterol is over 220mg/dL

The Norwegian study (was done with 52, 087 Norwegians, age between 20 to 74 for about 10 year span).  Findings revels the following…….

For the women, Cholesterol had an inverse relationship with all-cause mortality and CVD and U-shaped relationship with Ischemic Heart Disease. In the Men case, Cholesterol had a U-shaped relationship with total mortality and CVD.

So far, there is no proven link between high cholesterol and CVD/CHD. But, there are many studies shows the direct association between low cholesterol and mortality. Now it’s up to you!

So, What is the better indicator for CHD/CVD ?  The most reliable (as on today) is the TG:HDL (the ratio between the Triglyceride and High Density Lipoprotein)

TG:HDL is not only for CHD/CVD, Its one of the proven criteria for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome, which is also known as Reaven’s syndrome, named after Gerald Reaven, MD, of Stanford University. As per his studies, TG:HDL >3 is considered High (high risk of  CVD) and TG:HDL <1 considered as low (Low or no risk of CVD)  (Note : the ratio given here is in mg/dL)

Now, check my TC and TG:HDL from the previous post. Impressed ?  Also, find below few published research articles in this regard. It is impossible to get TG:HDL <1 without HFLC.

Finally, I end this post with the Quotes from renowned cardiologists

"The cholesterol myth has caused large numbers of healthy people to believe that they were at high risk for a heart attack. Relying on cholesterol levels as a risk factor for coronary artery disease may not be wise since 80% of coronary patients have the same cholesterol as individuals who do not develop the disease."   -   Dr. Gene Millen

"I freely admit to being wrong. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact."

"Without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped."  - Dr. Dwight Lundell,