title: [Cholesterol lowering and life expectancy: a critical evaluation].
abstract: Numerous studies have confirmed a positive correlation between serum cholesterol levels and the occurrence of coronary artery disease. Lowering cholesterol by 1% is accompanied by a reduction of coronary events by 2%. The rate of fatal coronary events is not significantly influenced. Coronary angiography demonstrated only a mild average reduction of coronary lesions after cholesterol-lowering therapy. This might be explained by the low lipid content of a coronary plaque (5-15%). The majority of intervention trials revealed an increase of the extracardiac mortality in treatment groups. Thus, up to the present, it remains unproven that cholesterol-lowering therapy leads to an increase in life expectancy.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Kardiologie Zentrums der Inneren Medizin Klinikums der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt, Main.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klepzig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaltenbach
mesh_terms: D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol
vernacular_title: Cholesterinsenkung und Lebenserwartung: Eine kritische Stellungnahme.