Abstract
The relation between serum cholesterol concentration and mortality was studied prospectively over 11 years in 630 New Zealand Maoris aged 25-74. Serum cholesterol concentration was measured at initial examination in 1962-3 in 94% of the subjects and whether each was dead or alive was determined in 1974. The causes of death were divided into three categories: cancer, cardiovascular disease, and "other." The Mantel-Haenszel method of analysis of survivorship data showed a significant inverse relation between serum cholesterol concentration and overall mortality in men (x 2/2 = 11.6; p = 0.003) and women (x 2/2 = 7.6; p = 0.02) with odds ratios of 2.3 and 1.9 respectively. Similar significant inverse relations were found for cancer and "other" causes of death. These relations remained significant when baseline age, systolic blood pressure, and the Quetelt index were controlled in Cox's proportional hazards regression model. The results of this study provide evidence for a potentially deleterious effect of low serum cholesterol concentration. Hence, further research is needed before indiscriminate efforts are made to lower serum cholesterol concentrations in New Zealand Maoris.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- A co-operative trial in the primary prevention of ischaemic heart disease using clofibrate. Report from the Committee of Principal Investigators. Br Heart J. 1978 Oct;40(10):1069–1118. doi: 10.1136/hrt.40.10.1069. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Beaglehole R., Prior I., Salmond C., Eyles E. Coronary heart disease in Maoris: incidence and case mortality. N Z Med J. 1978 Aug 23;88(618):138–141. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cruse P., Lewin M., Clark C. G. Dietary cholesterol is co-carcinogenic for human colon cancer. Lancet. 1979 Apr 7;1(8119):752–755. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(79)91209-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Demel R. A., De Kruyff B. The function of sterols in membranes. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1976 Oct 26;457(2):109–132. doi: 10.1016/0304-4157(76)90008-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Mantel N. Evaluation of survival data and two new rank order statistics arising in its consideration. Cancer Chemother Rep. 1966 Mar;50(3):163–170. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Prior I. A. Cardiovascular epidemiology in New Zealand and the Pacific. N Z Med J. 1974 Sep 25;80(524):245–252. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Prior I. A., Davidson F. The epidemiology of diabetes in Polynesians and Europeans in New Zealand and the Pacific. N Z Med J. 1966 Jun;65(406):375–383. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rose G., Blackburn H., Keys A., Taylor H. L., Kannel W. B., Paul O., Reid D. D., Stamler J. Colon cancer and blood-cholesterol. Lancet. 1974 Feb 9;1(7850):181–183. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)92492-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ueshima H., Iida M., Komachi Y. Is it desirable to reduce total serum cholesterol level as low as possible? Prev Med. 1979 Jan;8(1):104–105. doi: 10.1016/0091-7435(79)90033-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]