A lot of people have asked me about cholesterol.

Among them, I noticed a letter in which she told her story about getting ill of hepatitis during taking a "cholesterol lowering agent" for two months. Hepatitis may cause cancer in the future.

I have been asked by a person whose back has come to a head and has been operated on it, after his cholesterol fell down from 260 or over to 200 or under. This case indicates that there maybe some relation between low cholesterol and infection.

A cardiovascular disease specialist of circulatory organ asked me to tell him a paper which shows the relations between low cholesterol and immunity, infection or increasing the number of death. I think quite a few people also want to know the relations between them.

Several studies showing the relations have been reported one after another in these five or six years.

For example, after a national survey for nutrient, more than ten thousands of people were followed for fourteen years this study shows that people whose cholesterol levels are 240-260 live longest.

Another survey, in which ten thousands of people were followed for about eleven years in the City of Yao in Osaka, also shows that people whose cholesterol levels are 240-280 live longest. People with Cholesterol level Under 160 showed death rates from cancer the highest, and people with cholesterol level over 280 the lowest. The difference of rates between two groups was more than twice.

The upper limit of normal cholesterol level has become one of the current issues after the result of the large scale clinical study called "Japan Lipid Intervention Trial" was reported in the end of last year.

In this study, fifty thousands of people whose cholesterol levels were over 220 (The average was about 270) took "Lowering agent" for six years. The cholesterol level had been lowered by 50 in average, but people with 220-280 showed the lowest death rates.

People with cholesterol level less than 180 showed death rates 2.6 times higher than the lowest rate. People with cholesterol level more than 280 showed death rates from cancer also the lowest.

Studies in Europe and America show that the lower his or her cholesterol level is, the higher his or her death rate from cancer except for the circulatory organ, or most diseases and injuries of respiratory and digestive organs become.

And another survey, which investigated over 120 thousands of people for fifteen years in America, show that low cholesterol people might often get infectious diseases and had to be hospitalized, or get infectious diseases in the hospitals.

These facts mean that the higher his or her cholesterol level is, the less danger of cancer he or she gets in.

And a lot of surveys show that people with cholesterol level about 240-260 show death rates the lowest of all.

Here, I can tell you only the outline. But I have reported the result of my analysis by quoting studies in the June, 1999 issue of TIP "The Informed Prescriber", the medicine's magazine for doctors and pharmacists.

The issue was also featured February, 2001 issue of "Check Your Pills, the magazine for public. Please read them for reference.