A recent article published in the October 18, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, they did a very short-term study to suggest that very low LDL (low density lipoproteins) cholesterol levels was safe and a desirable target. This is the type of study that should be viewed with a great deal of skepticism and most likely, not have been published at all. In order to determine effectiveness of drugs like statins and to test for adverse effects, it is important to go way beyond the mere 4 months that this study looked at.

Research conclusions, such as the one come up with by the authors is highly unscientific and terribly misleading in light of all of the other longer term studies showing minimal benefits to agressive cholesterol lowering and the increases of other diseases such as cancer.

We at Carbon Based highly recommend the book, Overdo$ed America, by John Abramson, MD. In it he explains how misleading many of the studies regarding statin drugs and the lack of a solid relationship between lowering cholesterol and decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease.