http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.pdf
The NIH's current practice guidelines reflect this position.
The "cholesterol wars" ended a few years ago with a widespread acknowledgment that high levels of LDL cholesterol (over 1.9) increase the risk of coronary heart disease. There are still some holdouts, however.
I am not a doctor. I have, however, resolved several medical issues naturally, through nutrition, and have never taken cholesterol-lowering or hypertension medication.
My motivation for posting on these issues is that I want conservatives, and Freepers in particular, to lead long, healthy lives. We need every one of you.
I consume no cholesterol, only trace amounts of sodium, no saturated fat and only trace amounts of polyunsaturated fats from nuts, grains and vegetables.
For those of you on a typical diet, following these nutritional principles will knock off an easy twenty-five pounds.
“The “cholesterol wars” ended a few years ago with a widespread acknowledgment that high levels of LDL cholesterol (over 1.9) increase the risk of coronary heart disease.”
But reducing total cholesterol just to reduce LDL is a recipe for disaster. That’s what the data show. The ratio of HDL to LDL is what’s important, and most people reduce them both to their detriment.
The whole cholesterol-causes-heart-disease was predicated on junk science in the first place. And the studies have reflected that ever since. The real issue is inflammation, and reducing cholesterol with medications has so many side effects that it is a bad idea for many other reasons.
As far as taking advice from the NIH, that organization is so riddled with conflicts of interest (google it for yourself) that anything they recommend is suspect. The only ‘consensus’ about cholesterol is just like the Global Warming consensus.