My wife had a heart attack a month ago. Her LDLs are 72. HDLs 52. Total cholesterol 193. So much for low cholesterol being safe.
high triglycerides are probably a better predictor of heart disease than cholesterol ... high triglycerides are easily lowered with a high quality concentrated fish oil supplement ...
Genetics probably makes a difference in how a person is affected by cholesterol especially in eating habits.
Cholesterol and heart disease are not closely related.
Heart disease is a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the arteries. The usual suspects are high blood pressure, insulin resistance/diabetes, smoking, and genetics.
Ancel Keys cooked up the link between cholesterol/fat and heart disease and he was a fraud that cherry picked data to make his case. The animal rights loons latched onto it and the medical establishment mostly ignores all research to the contrary.