Potential effect on coronary-heart-disease morbidity of lowering the blood-cholesterol
Whyte, H.M.
Lancet 1(7912): 906-910
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0140-6736 PMID: 47547 Document Number: 95078
Analysis of findings from the Framingham study suggests that if 100 men who are not smokers, with normal blood pressure and electrocardiogram, starting at 35 years of age reduce their plasma cholesterol from 310 to 260 mg/100 ml by diet, 6 could potentially benefit by avoiding a coronary incident, but 94 would show no benefit and 8 of them would have a heart attack within 20 years. The potential benefit is less for women and for those starting later in life. It is greater if cholesterol is further reduced and if other risk factors are present; thus, if 100 men starting at age 35, smokers with moderate hypertension and left-ventricular hypertrophy, reduced their plasma cholesterol from 310 to 210 mg/100 ml, 29 could expect to benefit.