US cuts cholesterol with drugs, not lifestyle
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Older Americans have lowered their cholesterol levels thanks to popular statin drugs, but adults of all ages have resisted making the healthy lifestyle changes that can cut the fat, according to a study reported Tuesday.
The decline in average blood cholesterol levels was observed between 1995 and 2002 among men 60 and older and women 50 and older but not among younger U.S. adults, according to the study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It appears that the decreases in total and (harmful low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol may have been influenced more by increased medication use rather than by positive lifestyle changes,” study author Margaret Carroll wrote in this week’s issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Among people aged 45 or older studied, there was an increase in the number of doctor and hospital visits where statins were prescribed.
Statins—which include Pfizer Inc.‘s $11 billion-a-year Lipitor, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.‘s Pravachol and Merck and Co. Inc.‘s Zocor—are commonly prescribed to lower dangerously high levels of low-density cholesterol in the blood.
This cholesterol is known to clog and damage arteries, leading to heart disease.
Research has shown that a 1 percent decrease in harmful cholesterol translates into a 1 percent drop in relative risk of heart disease, the report said.
The study found cholesterol levels among all adults decreased on average from 206 milligrams per deciliter of blood during the 1988-94 period to 203 milligrams per deciliter in 1999-2002. Older adults accounted for the drop, while cholesterol levels in younger adults remained the same.
Doctors generally recommend a total cholesterol level below 200.
The report warned the steady increase in U.S. obesity rates might blunt the benefits of lower cholesterol. It cited the study’s finding of a slight increase in serum triglyceride levels among U.S. adults, which is another indicator of potential heart trouble.
Carroll advised “a healthy lifestyle, which includes reducing intake of saturated fat and cholesterol, achieving and maintaining healthy weight, and increasing physical activity” to bring down cholesterol levels.
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, October 12, 2005.
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