Low Cholesterol Levels Associated With Increased Mortality - Again!

There have been several studies that have shown increased death rates in hospitalised patients with low blood cholesterol levels. Yet studies continue to look at this 'paradox'. Here is another showing the same thing. Why anyone would want a low cholesterol level is beyond me.

Al-Mallah MH, Hatahet H, Cavalcante JL, Khanal S. Low admission LDL-cholesterol is associated with increased 3-year all-cause mortality in patients with non ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Cardiol J. 2009;16(3):227-33.

Division of Cardiology, Henry Ford Heart and Vascular Institute, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. malmall1@hfhs.org

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The relationship between admission low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and long-term outcomes has not been established in patients with acute coronary syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that patients who develop non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) despite low LDL have a worse cardiovascular outcome in the long term.

METHODS: Patients admitted with NSTEMI between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2000 and with fasting lipid profiles measured within 24 hours of admission were selected for analysis. Baseline characteristics and 3-year all-cause mortality were compared between the patients with LDL above and below the median. Multivariate analysis was used to determine the predictors of all-cause mortality, and adjusted survival was analyzed using the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: Of the total of 517 patients, 264 had LDL <or= 105 mg/dL and 253 had LDL > 105 mg/dL. There was no difference in age, gender, severity of coronary artery disease, and left ventricular ejection fraction between the 2 groups. Thirty-six percent of patients with LDL <or= 105 mg/dL and 24% of patients with LDL > 105 mg/dL were on lipid-lowering therapy on admission. After 3 years, patients with admission LDL <or= 105 mg/dL had higher all-cause mortality rate compared to patients with LDL > 105 mg/dL (14.8% vs. 7.1%, p = 0.005). The higher all-cause mortality persisted (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.5, p = 0.05) even after adjustment for confounding variables.

CONCLUSIONS: In our cohort, lower LDL-cholesterol at admission was associated with decreased 3-year survival in patients with NSTEMI. Whether this was a result of current therapy or a marker for worse baseline characteristics needs to be studied further.

Last updated 8 November 2009