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LOW CHOLESTEROL AGAIN LINKED TO VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, VIOLENT DEATH
A new review of human and animal studies strongly suggests that low cholesterol is a
risk factor for violent death and violent behavior.
Many studies have linked low cholesterol to violence
(see related article, Crime Times, 1996, Vol. 2, No. 4, Page 1),
while some have found no relationship. Reviewing the data from 32 different studies,
Beatrice Golomb concludes that overall, "the evidence in the literature is consistent with a causal
connection between low or lowered cholesterol levels and violence, and agreement across study
types is striking."
Golomb found that:
- Observational studies "consistently showed increased violent death and violent
behaviors in persons with low cholesterol levels." (A meta-analysis by D. Jacobs et al. of 18 such
studies, for instance, found 50% more violent deaths in men with cholesterol levels less than 160
mg/dL than in men with the highest cholesterol levels.)
- Some meta-analyses of randomized trials show an excess of violent deaths in healthy
men randomly assigned to receive cholesterol-lowering therapies.
- Animal studies indicate that monkeys become more violent when fed low-cholesterol
diets.
Golomb says that "human and animal research indicates that low or lowered cholesterol
levels may reduce central serotonin activity, which in turn is causally linked to violent
behaviors"
(see related articles, Crime Times, 1998, Vol. 4, No. 2, Page 1 and Crime Times, 1998, Vol. 4, No. 2, Page 1&4 ).
She adds that the relationship between lowered
cholesterol and violence is more clear for men than for women. While cholesterol-lowering drugs
may play some role in increased violence, Golomb notes that "low cholesterol levels are linked to
violence in populations that are not receiving cholesterol-lowering medications."
Golomb concludes that "concerns about increased risk for violent outcomes should figure
in risk-benefit analyses for cholesterol screening and treatment."
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"Cholesterol and violence: is there a connection?" Beatrice A. Golomb, Annals of
Internal Medicine, Vol. 128, March 15, 1998, pp. 478-487. Address: Beatrice A. Golomb, San
Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive 111N-1, La Jolla, CA
92161.
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