Related Experiment Videos
Is a high serum cholesterol level associated with longer survival in elderly hypertensives?
J Staessen1, A Amery, W Birkenhäger
1Klinisch Laboratorium Hypertensie, Inwendige Geneeskunde-Cardiologie, U.Z. Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
Insights
Higher baseline serum total cholesterol was linked to increased mortality in elderly patients. This inverse correlation was observed for total, non-cardiovascular, and cancer mortality during the trial.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Serum total cholesterol levels vary by sex and decline with age.
- Cholesterol levels decreased during the study period in both placebo and active treatment groups.
- Elderly hypertensive patients were the focus of this investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between baseline serum total cholesterol and mortality in elderly patients.
- To determine if cholesterol levels predict mortality risk in this demographic.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind trial involving 822 elderly patients followed for an average of 3.1 years.
- Serum total cholesterol measured at randomization.
- Statistical analysis to correlate cholesterol with mortality outcomes.
Main Results:
- Baseline serum total cholesterol was independently and inversely correlated with total mortality (P=0.03).
- An inverse correlation was found between cholesterol and non-cardiovascular mortality (P=0.03) and cancer mortality (P=0.04).
- Higher hemoglobin and body weight at randomization were also negatively correlated with total and non-cardiovascular mortality.
Conclusions:
- Higher baseline serum total cholesterol is a predictor of increased mortality in elderly individuals.
- The findings suggest cholesterol levels may be an important prognostic marker in this population.
- Further research may explore the mechanisms underlying this association.
Abstract:
The relationship between serum total cholesterol, measured at randomization, and mortality was investigated in 822 patients, who were followed for an average of 3.1 years in a double-blind trial, conducted by the European Working Party on High Blood Pressure in the Elderly. Serum cholesterol, measured at randomization, was 0.54 mmol/l higher in women than in men, and declined with increasing age in both men (0.028 mmol/l per year) and women (0.036 mmol/l per year). During follow-up on randomized treatment, cholesterol fell by a similar amount with placebo (0.11 mmol/l per year) and with active treatment (0.14 mmol/l per year). Active treatment consisted of hydrochlorothiazide (25-50 mg/day) plus triamterene (50-100 mg/day) with the addition of alpha-methyldopa (0.5-2.0 g/day) in one-third of the patients. Serum total cholesterol, measured at randomization, was independently and inversely correlated with total (P = 0.03), non-cardiovascular (P = 0.03) and cancer (P = 0.04) mortality during follow-up on double-blind treatment. Total and non-cardiovascular mortality were also negatively correlated with haemoglobin and body weight at randomization.