Anyone else with very low cholesterol?

[Geonz]

I'd want to know where that data came from (the "double the risk" stuff). I've heard that low cholesterol was bad - but low as in 90, not 140-ish. Mine was up from 140 to 156 last time I had it checked; the nurse said "come back in five years." Just 'cause somebody's right about a couple of things doesn't mean I'd trust that individual to draw the right conclusions about other thigns; I'd want to know what they were basing it on. Let's face it, there could be somethign in any given supplement that's a risk factor, too.

[emily_in_nc]

I'd want to know where that data came from (the "double the risk" stuff).

High cholesterol is a well-known risk factor for stroke. But new research suggests that low levels of cholesterol in the blood may also increase stroke risk. The study linking low cholesterol to increased stroke risk was presented recently at the 24th American Heart Association Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation which was discussed in last week’s newsletter. About 80% of all strokes are ischemic, and 20% are hemorrhagic.

The researchers compared the cholesterol levels of the stroke patients to 3,700 other people in the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound who had not had a stroke. They found that as an individual's cholesterol level rose above 230 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL), their risk of ischemic stroke increased. For example, a person with a cholesterol level of 280 mg/dL had twice the risk of ischemic stroke as a person with 230 mg/dL.

But the researchers also found that as cholesterol dropped, the risk of -hemorrhagic stroke increased significantly. A person with a cholesterol level below 180 mg/dL had twice the risk of that type of stroke compared with someone at 230 mg/dL.

About 10% of the population have cholesterol levels below 180 mg/dL. It is not clear if the cholesterol is indeed the cause of the stroke, or related to some other cardiovascular factor that is responsible. High cholesterol levels probably increase blockages.

The theory with low cholesterol is that it is necessary to maintain integrity of the vessel wall. Low levels of cholesterol might lead to "leaky vessels." The Japanese have typically low cholesterol levels and a higher than average rate of hemorrhagic stroke.

Source: http://www.mercola.com/1999/archive/low_cholesterol.htm