Lowering cholesterol 'may save lives'

Securing a lower level of cholesterol earlier in life may ultimately go on to save lives, it has been asserted.

A team of University of California, San Diego School of Medicine physician-researchers has pledged that reducing such levels in childhood could also lower the number of cases of coronary heart disease and the group has suggested "aggressive intervention" to achieve this, EurekaAlert reports.

In a review article published in the August 5th issue of the American Heart Association journal Circulation, the researchers call today's attempts to lower cholesterol "too little, too late".

Daniel Steinberg, a professor emeritus of medicine at UC San Diego and his colleagues Christopher Glass and Joseph Witztum, both UC San Diego professors of medicine, suggest that lowering low-density lipoproteins to less than 50mg through a healthy diet and exercise could be a lifesaving standard.

In news that may be of interest to anti aging physicians, Mr Steinberg said: "Studies show that fatty streak lesions in the arteries that are a precursor to atherosclerosis and heart disease begin in childhood and advanced lesions are not uncommon by age 30. Why not nip things in the bud?"

Heart disease is the main cause of death in the United States, according to EurekaAlert.