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It is known that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of having a stroke or heart attack, but rates below a certain threshold may have the opposite effect on the risk of stroke in women. Although levels below 100 mg / dL are considered ideal, a new study found that women with "bad" cholesterol below 70 mg / dL were more than twice as likely to have haemorrhagic stroke as women with higher rates.
What is the "bad" cholesterol?
Although humans require a certain amount of LDL cholesterol, this figure is generally low and it is easy to overtake it in the modern Western diet. According to the American Heart Association, when the levels are too high, LDL cholesterol can build up in the arteries, resulting in the development of atherosclerosis and narrowing of the arteries. These conditions open the way for heart attacks and strokes, leading to the term "bad" cholesterol.
LDL, triglycerides and risk of stroke
A study published in the journal Neurology on April 10, revealed a worrisome link between low LDL cholesterol and an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke in women. This type of stroke is less common than ischemic stroke and is more difficult to treat, which increases their risk of becoming fatal.
According to the study, women whose LDL cholesterol was less than 70 mg / dL were much more likely to suffer from hemorrhagic stroke than women whose LDL level was between 100 and 130 mg / dL . In addition, the study found that participants with the lowest triglyceride levels had an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke compared to women with the highest levels.
The research involved 27,937 women aged at least 45 years; after an average of 19 years of follow-up, 137 women had hemorrhagic stroke. In detail, 0.8% of women with LDL cholesterol below 70 mg / dL had hemorrhagic stroke compared to 0.4% of women with LDL cholesterol ranging from 100 to 130 mg / dL.
After adjusting for other potential factors, the researchers found that women with very low "bad" cholesterol were 2.2 times more likely to have hemorrhagic stroke than women with higher rates. The researchers also noted that, to a lesser extent, the very low triglyceride levels increased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke compared to women with the highest rates.
What does it mean?
High levels of LDL cholesterol should not be ignored, of course, and excessive levels remain a health risk. The study suggests that very low levels, however, may present their own risks and must be taken into account when determining health, lifestyle and diet.
The author of the study, Pamela Rist, ScD, stated the following:
Doctors whose LDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels are very low should be monitored by their doctor to detect other modifiable risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure. and smoking, to reduce their risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Further research is also needed to determine how to reduce the risk of hemorrhagic stroke in women with very low LDL and triglyceride levels.
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