For a very long time, I've been warning you low cholesterol levels can be bad for you as they have been linked to stroke, depression and suicide. Low cholesterol may also increase your odds -- particularly if you're a man -- for Parkinson's disease, according to a new study.
University of North Carolina (UNC) researchers compared the lipid levels of 124 Parkinson's patients with a similar number who were free of the disease. After taking age, smoking and pharmaceutical use into account, scientists found the Parkinson's link in men with LDL cholesterol levels below 135 to be telling and alarming.
Men with LDL levels below 91 were four times as likely to have Parkinson's while those with levels between 91-135 were six times more prone to Parkinson's.
Perhaps, scientists said, lower amounts of cholesterol don't get rid of all the environmental toxins that can trigger Parkinson's, certainly in line with Dr. Ron Rosedale's recent article that describes the many vital functions cholesterol performs to keep you healthy.
An FYI to women: The same link to cholesterol doesn't hold true for you. In fact, based on the study, a man's risk of Parkinson's is about twice as high.
MSNBC September 29, 2005