Low cholesterol levels are associated with lung disease

This study was published in Circulation 2003 Mar 25;107(11):1514-9

Study title and authors:

Why are patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases? The potential role of systemic inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sin DD, Man SF.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12654609

This study analysed the association of cholesterol levels with the severity of airflow obstruction in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease. The study included 6,629 people aged 50 or over.

Sin notes that air flow obstructions elevate the risk of ischemic heart diseases, strokes, and sudden cardiac deaths 2- to 3-fold.

The study found:
(a) People with no air flow obstruction had the highest cholesterol.
(b) People with the most severe air flow obstruction had the lowest cholesterol.

The results of the study show that low cholesterol is associated with a higher severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which leads to a  2- to 3-fold increased risk of ischemic heart disease, stroke, and sudden cardiac death.