The cholesterol/heart disease hypothesis is false

This study was published in Medical Services Journal Canada 1963 Jun;19:410-20

Study title and authors:

Serum lipid levels and the severity of coronary and cerebral atherosclerosis in adequately-nourished men, 60-69 years of age.

PATERSON JC, ARMSTRONG R, ARMSTRONG EC.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13941824

This study measured the cholesterol levels of 42 war veterans aged 60-69 at post-mortem to investigate the relationship between cholesterol levels and blockage of the arteries.

The study found:

(a) There was NO correlation between cholesterol levels and the amount of blockage in the arteries.

(b) Those who had lower cholesterol had suffered from more previous heart attacks and blood clots than had those who had higher cholesterol.

(c) One man had a cholesterol level of only 111mg/dL (2.8 mmol/l). He had suffered a heart attack and had severe blockage of the arteries.

This study shows that the cholesterol/heart disease hypothesis is false.