Low cholesterol levels weaken the heart

This study was published in Circulation Journal 2014 Oct 30

 

Study title and authors:

Low Blood Pressure, Low Serum Cholesterol and Anemia Predict Early Necessity of Ventricular Assist Device Implantation in Patients With Advanced Heart Failure at the Time of Referral From Non-Ventricular Assist Device Institutes.

Fujino T, Kinugawa K, Hatano M, Imamura T, Muraoka H, Minatsuki S, Inaba T, Maki H, Kinoshita O, Nawata K, Yao A, Ono M, Komuro I.

Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo.

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25354551

A ventricular assist device (VAD) is a mechanical pump that's used to support heart function and blood flow in people who have weakened hearts. The device takes blood from a lower chamber of the heart and helps pump it to the body and vital organs, just as a healthy heart would.

This study analysed the factors predicting early necessity of a ventricular assist device in patients with advanced heart failure. The study included 46 patients who had a history of hospitalisation for heart failure management.

Regarding cholesterol levels, the study found that patients with cholesterol less than 144 mg/dL (3.7 mmol/L) had a 709% increased risk of early necessity of a ventricular assist device compared to patients with higher cholesterol levels.  

Low cholesterol is associated with marked increase in mortality in heart failure

Books:

This post includes a summary of a study published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure 2002 Aug;8(4):216-24 and a recipe for tender beef tongue with onions and garlic.

Study title and authors:

Low serum total cholesterol is associated with marked increase in mortality in advanced heart failure.

Horwich TB, Hamilton MA, Maclellan WR, Fonarow GC.
UCLA Department of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12397569

The study investigated the relationship between cholesterol levels and heart failure. Cholesterol levels were measured in 1,134 patients with advanced heart failure.

The study revealed that those with the lowest cholesterol had over double the risk of dying from advanced heart failure compared to those with the highest cholesterol.

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Recipe of the day

Tender Beef Tongue with Onions and Garlic

Ingredients:

■1 beef tongue

■1 medium onion, finely chopped

Food Mall: Tongue

■1 shallot, finely chopped

■2 cloves garlic, minced
■1 jalapeno (optional), sliced in half or minced
■Pinch of red chili flakes
■1 bay leaf

Instructions:
Put all ingredients into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer for about 3 hours until tender. Let cool until you are able to handle. Peel off skin and slice.



High cholesterol is a marker for longevity

This study was published in Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care 2007 Jul;10(4):433-42

Study title and authors:
Risk factor paradox in wasting diseases.

Kalantar-Zadeh K, Horwich TB, Oreopoulos A, Kovesdy CP, Younessi H, Anker SD, Morley JE.

Harold Simmons Center for Kidney Disease Research and Epidemiology, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Center at Harbor-UCLA, Torrance, California 90509-2910, USA. kamkal@ucla.edu

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17563461

Kalantar-Zadeh reviewed the literature concerning cholesterol levels and wasting diseases and found that having high cholesterol leads to higher survival rates in people with chronic kidney disease, chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive lung disease, cancer, AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, and in the elderly.