I don't actually have an opinion about oily fish either: I just have an automatic reaction to this cholesterol stuff when I see it :0)
Cholesterol levels are a measurable proxy indicator. Unfortunately Cholesterol levels don't actually correlate to health and wellness, making their use as proxy indicators of health worthless. Their ease of measurement does pay large dividends to statin manufacturers though. It's a classic marketing ploy: fix on a proxy indicator, convince people that it is a true measure of health and then treat it. People can then see their "health" improve, when in fact all that is changing is a proxy indicator.
Some interesting facts:
More than 60% of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels.
The majority of people with high cholesterol never suffer heart attacks.
Half of all heart attack victims have none of the standard risk factors (i.e., smoking, obesity, genetics, or high cholesterol).
The real solution to heart disease is to halt the causes of arterial inflammation. One cause is homocysteine, a harmless acid-like waste product that forms when you eat red meat and other protein foods. Homocysteine is quickly broken down by certain B vitamins, so that it isn’t usually a problem. But if a person isn’t getting enough of these B vitamins (either due to thyroid supression or diet deficiency), then homocysteine builds up to dangerous levels and “burns” the delicate tissue of the artery walls. Plaque is then formed at the site of this inflammation as the body attempts to heal the damage. This plaque build up is dangerous, causing narrowing of the arteries.
Studies show that a high level of homocysteine is one of the most dangerous risk factors for heart disease. It increases a person’s risk of heart attack by three times.
The answer to heart disease is not statins, nor is it anti-inflammatory drugs. The answer is solving the B-vitamin deficiency. This is usually due to an underactive thyroid gland which inhibits the absorption of B vitamins and therefore causes homocysteine levels to skyrocket.
Correcting the thyroid function in patients enables homocysteine levels to normalize on their own — without any need for extra vitamin intake.
As to what causes thyroid supression in the first place: well, I'm out of my comfort zone here. Some qualified Freeper could chip in, perhaps.
Disclaimer: for brevity (hey I'm on my lunch break!) most text I have used above was lifted from pages at this location. This is a semi-commercial vitamin supplement site but contains a lot of collated, free data for interested browsers.
And I think they have computed something like 85% of the cholesterl in your body gets made... in your very own liver.
So if you stop eating everything, your cholesterol would only drop 15%. Then, you'd die.
Cholesterol really has been given a bad rap. The real situation is as you describe, "IF you have these other bad conditions, AND you have high LDL cholesterol, then MAYBE you might be at a much higher risk of coronary or other health problems".
The real solution is probably to pick parents with better genetic make-up.
PS: I have heard one of the most common causes of hypothyroidism is not enough potassium.
Yes, I agree on the homocysteine connection. My father harped on it for years. Interestingly, most insurance (HMOs) will not pay for homocysteine testing.
However, it was pointed out to me by one doctor, that folic acid suppliments are effective in influencing homocysteine levels. His attitude was don't worry about the test, just take folic acid.
As regards inflamation, my cardiologist told me that it is now suspected that blockage in the arteries may be due to episodes of inflamation. He said that they just don't know. But he does feel that keeping one's cholesterol within reasonable limits is a good idea.
One other thought. The statin lovers rarely point out that regular, moderate exercise is proven effective in lowering cholesterol and triglycerides.