Nov 23, 2009 5:35 pm US/Eastern
High Cholesterol Could Lead To Heart Failure
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
Heart attack is one of the most common causes of heart failure. But a new study finds that having high cholesterol may put you at higher risk of heart failure even if you don't have a heart attack.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle isn't able to pump blood effectively and organs can become deprived of oxygen.
Common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, and swelling in the ankles and legs.
It affects nearly six million Americans.
And now a local study shows a surprising connection between heart failure and cholesterol
Researchers at the
Framingham Heart Study looked at nearly 7,000 men and women who didn't have coronary disease at the beginning of the study. After 26 years of follow-up about 10% had developed heart failure.
Analyzing the data, scientists found that having high levels of bad or low levels of good cholesterol increased the risk of heart failure independent of coronary disease.
Dr. Daniel Levy is a cardiologist and senior author of the study. He says the study shows that people with high levels of bad cholesterol or low levels of good cholesterol are at about a 25% higher risk for the development of heart failure over time.
Dr. Levy says that cholesterol may have a direct effect on heart muscle. "It may be that high lipid levels and poor levels of HDL have an effect of function on the heart and that further improving our lipid levels is one way to reduce our risk of heart failure."
Dr. Levy says that can be achieved with lifestyle changes like weight loss for people who are overweight, exercise, and of course, a diet low in cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans fats. But he admits, "For many people, though, in a fast food world, that's a difficult thing to achieve." That is why many people eventually turn to cholesterol lowering drugs to help them reach their goal.
More research is underway to look at this relationship between cholesterol and heart failure, but in the meantime, this study should encourage doctors to be more aggressive in identifying and treating patients with lipid abnormalities.
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