When bad cholesterol is good

Monday May 9th, 2011

Scientists have called for a fresh look at the role of cholesterol - and whether it might help prevent muscle wasting in old age.

New research has shown that people who exercise and keep fit may need increased levels of the supposedly unhealthy form of cholesterol - low density lipoprotein or LDL.

Excessive levels of LDL have been linked to the development of heart disease - while another form of cholesterol, HDL, or high density lipoprotein, is regarded as healthy.

The findings come from a study of some 52 adults in their 60s to be published in the Journals of Gerontology. The volunteers were healthy but not physically active.

They were persuaded to undertake vigorous work-outs. Scientists found that those who put on the most muscle mass also had the highest levels of LDL.

Researcher Steve Riechman said it was “a very unexpected result and one that surprised us."

He said it seemed LDL delivered cholesterol to tissues - giving them material for growth. Then HDL "cleaned up" afterwards.

He said severe sarcopenia - muscle wastage - was a major problem among the elderly, affecting up to 65 per cent of men.

The findings may shed new light on the debate about whether to control cholesterol levels in the elderly by using statin pills.

Dr Reichman, of the Texas A&M University, USA, said: "The bottom line is that LDL – the bad cholesterol – serves as a reminder that something is wrong and we need to find out what it is.

"It gives us warning signs. Is smoking the problem, is it diet, is it lack of exercise that a person’s cholesterol is too high?

"It plays a very useful role, does the job it was intended to do, and we need to back off by always calling it ‘bad’ cholesterol because it is not totally bad.”

Tags: Diet & Food | Geriatric Health | Heart Health | North America

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