(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Concerns that low cholesterol leads to cancer may
have caused unnecessary fear. A pair of studies now suggests lower cholesterol
may actually reduce a man's risk of prostate cancer.
A new National Cancer Institute study reveals although low total cholesterol
blood levels were connected to an 18 percent increased rate of cancer, this was
the result of underlying cancer. “Our study affirms that lower total cholesterol
may be caused by undiagnosed cancer," Demetrius Albanes, M.D., a senior
investigator at the National Cancer Institute, was quoted as saying. "In terms
of public health message, we found that higher levels of ‘good cholesterol’ (HDL)
seem to be protective for all cancers, which is in line with recommendations for
cardiovascular health.”
Results also show high levels of good cholesterol, or HDL, decreased cancer risk
by 14 percent. Researchers followed 29,093 men for 18 years, making it the
largest and longest study of its kind.
In a separate study, total cholesterol of less than 200 mg/dL reduced men's risk
of high-grade prostate cancer by 59 percent. While high-grade prostate cancer is
a less common form of the cancer, it is more likely to progress than other
types, experts say.
SOURCE: Cancer Epidemiology and Biomarkers & Prevention, 2009
