Private MD News

Study: Healthier cholesterol improves life expectancy

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

While the importance of cholesterol testing to monitor heart health has been known for years, the results of a 25-year study were recently published which confirm that cholesterol monitoring and intervention extends life expectancy among those at high risk for heart disease.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota began studying a group of heart attack survivors in 1975. The study then tracked the relative success of various treatments including diet modification and bypass surgery.

The results of the study show that those who were able to lower their cholesterol and maintain control over their LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels were able to increase their life expectancy by about one year.

"The trial was the first randomized controlled trial to show the life-sustaining benefits of cholesterol lowering and it is the only trial with 25 years of follow-up," said Henry Buchwald, lead investigator. "This study contributes to a long path of findings that high levels of LDL cholesterol are detrimental to your health."

The report also noted that the rise in statin medications had also led to improvements in cholesterol treatments