Cholesterol, the word is not new in our daily lives. High cholesterol has long been widely recognized as one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease, so controlling cholesterol levels through dietary modifications and medications** has become a well-established health recommendation. However, a recent study from Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai came to a surprising conclusion: low cholesterol levels may increase the risk of cancer. Is this really the case?
Cholesterol is a lipid substance that is found in every cell and is involved in a variety of biological activities, such as the formation of cell membranes, the synthesis of hormones, and the production of bile acids. Cholesterol is mainly produced by the liver and can also be ingested through food. However, cholesterol levels in the body need to be maintained within an appropriate range, as high or low cholesterol levels can have health effects.
High cholesterol has long been strongly associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease. When cholesterol levels are too high, it can be deposited on the walls of blood vessels, forming atherosclerotic plaques that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. As a result, many people choose to lower their cholesterol levels through dietary modifications, or medications to protect cardiovascular health.
A domestic study published in the American Journal of Cancer Research found that low cholesterol levels may be a red flag associated with an increased risk of cancer. The study was conducted by Professor Wang Weiqing's team at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and was conducted in 2014 to 2016 against the Chinese Cardiometabolic Disease and Cancer Cohort Research Project80,000 participants conducted an average duration of 38 years of follow-up survey, involving 16 provinces and 20 community sites across the country.
The researchers monitored the participants' metabolic markers, including good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL), among others. At the same time, the questionnaire survey was conducted to understand their relevant medical history, medication and lifestyle factors.
During the follow-up period, an average of 1,710 people were diagnosed with various types of cancer. The results of the analysis showed that participants with LDL levels below 100 milligrams of dL had a higher risk of developing liver cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and cervical cancer, respectively, by 259 times, 103 times, 197 times and 092 times.
For diabetic patients in particular, when their blood sugar is poorly controlled and LDL levels are less than 100 milligrams of deciliters, their risk of cancer increases by 42 percent, and the risk of pancreatic cancer in particular increases by 197 percent.
The researchers noted that the immune system needs cholesterol in its fight against cancer cells to activate immune signaling and regulate immune function. Therefore, when cholesterol is lowered to a certain level, it may be beneficial but not harmless.
However, too low levels of bad cholesterol can also pose a health threat. While "good cholesterol" isn't always better, being too high or too low can increase the risk of infections, especially gastroenteritis and bacterial pneumonia.
In fact, there is no clear "good or bad" cholesterol in the body, they all play their role. They are all acceptable as long as they are within the normal range.
Normally, the total amount of cholesterol in the human blood should be kept at 36-5.2 mmoll liters. If the cholesterol level is 52-6.Between 2 mmoll liters, indicating a moderate risk of disease;And more than 62 millimol liters, there is a high risk of disease.
In terms of specific values, the normal range for men is 1161.42 mmol;The normal range for females is 1291.55 mmol liters.
The normal value of "bad cholesterol" should be less than 34 mmol liters. For patients with cardiovascular disease, it should be controlled at 18~2.6 mmol liters or less.
Again, lower-than-normal levels of "bad cholesterol" may indicate severe malnutrition or synthetic dysfunction, such as severe liver disease. Especially when cholesterol is too low and weight loss is accompanied, the possibility of a tumor should also be considered. But there are still many unknowns about the relationship between cholesterol levels and cancer. More research needs to be done to further uncover the exact relationship between cholesterol and cancer. At the same time, we also need to continue to pay attention to the importance of a healthy lifestyle and keep cholesterol levels within the appropriate range to prevent cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases and maintain the health of the body.