ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the probable impact of cholesterol-lowering interventions in the elderly on coronary heart disease (CHD), non-CHD, and NIM based on information derived from epidemiologic observations, clinical studies, and population's samples with psychological assessments. The focus is on persons free of heart disease, because a net health and longevity benefit of cholesterol reduction from secondary prevention has been established. Compared to research relating serum cholesterol to CHD, whether cholesterol level correlates with, or contributes to, non-CHD illness and death has received little attention, either in epidemiologic research or in laboratory investigations. Using data from the Honolulu Heart Study modeled the effect of widespread cholesterol reduction and concluded that none of three intervention strategies modelled would significantly after total mortality-that is, heart disease reductions would be offset by increases in non-CHD mortality. The investigation shows that multivariate analysis including self-report general health and physical functioning substantially weakened the association.