I’m a cardiologist. This is what you need to know about the side effects of statins

Sorry, but cholesterol is not the problem; INFLAMMATION IS! Without inflammation the arteries wouldn't be grabbing cholesterol to pack into plaque. Medical personnel took the shortcut and left the real cause still out there. And solving the correct problem would negate use of statins, Big Pharma will never allow such research to be completed.

Why doesn't your doctor know about this? Your doctor, like mine, will use the excuse that statins reduce inflammation.

Inflammation video explaining it here:

The accent is a bit hard to understand and needs to be rerecorded to a laypersons understanding.

Inflammation In Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation YouTube 

The latest here:

I’m a cardiologist. This is what you need to know about the side effects of statins

Our new series The Expert View brings you specialist health advice from professionals. In this article, we hear from Dr Ricardo Petraco, an internationally recognised consultant cardiologist and researcher based at Imperial College London and the Mayo Clinic in London. He specialises in cardiovascular screening, coronary artery disease and intervention.

Around seven to eight million people in the UK are on statins, and every week I see patients who are either on or considering taking them. More than with any of their other pills, many are worried about side effects. So what are their real risks?

First, an important disclosure: I have no conflict of interest in recommending or prescribing statins. I don’t make money from doing so, and I have no relationship with the pharmaceutical companies that make and sell them to the NHS.

It’s mystifying to me that statins are so vilified, because if you had to pick the one medication in the history of cardiology with the clearest benefit, it would be them.

Statins work by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called “bad” cholesterol in the blood that leads to heart attacks, strokes and early death. Across the board, people taking a statin are roughly 25-40 per cent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke, regardless of their cholesterol level at the start of treatment. And the myths about the alleged risks – cancer, dementia, cognitive impairment, sexual dysfunction – have all been robustly debunked.

 Related video: New cholesterol guidelines: What you need to know (WCNC-TV Charlotte)

A study led by Oxford Population Health and published in The Lancet in February 2026 pooled 23 blinded trials involving more than 154,000 people. It found no excess risk from statins for 62 of the 66 conditions listed in their package leaflets, including memory loss, depression and sleep disturbances.

However, side effects can happen and some patients have genuine concerns. Dismissing them is wrong. What we should say is: “Yes, there is a small risk of side effects with statins, but let’s talk about it. Let’s weigh that risk against the risk of having a heart attack, and then you can make a rational decision about your treatment.”

Whatever you do, don’t give up on statins because you’re worried about side effects. That daily pill could save your life.

The side effects – should you be concerned?

Muscle aches

It is estimated that around one fifth of patients refuse or stop taking statins because of muscle aches, fatigue or joint pain. Yet true statin-caused muscle ache is uncommon. A 2022 study led by researchers from Oxford Population Health found that “for every 1,000 people taking a moderate intensity statin, the treatment would cause 11 generally mild episodes of muscle pain or weakness in the first year, with no significant excess in subsequent years”. The occurrence is just over 1 per cent, and only at the start.

A lot of complaints around muscle ache are largely down to the “nocebo effect”. That means the symptom is real but the drug is not causing it – the expectation of feeling unwell is. In studies where people don’t know whether they’re taking a statin or a dummy pill, aches are reported at nearly the same rate in both groups.

At Imperial, where I’m based, my colleagues carried out a study in 2020 that recruited 60 people aged between 37-79 who had stopped taking statins because of side effects, and restarted them, but with a twist. Over a year, each patient received bottles containing a statin, bottles containing a dummy pill, and bottles containing nothing at all, rating their symptoms each day via an app. The results were illuminating. Symptoms were nearly identical whether people took the statin or the placebo.

Nonetheless, it does occasionally happen, and it is a genuine concern. If a patient feels that statins are causing aches and pains, we monitor the situation, temporarily stop the statin and restart it to see how they feel. For many, symptoms lessen with time, particularly if you start on a lower dose and increase gradually. And if muscle problems persist, we can find another way to lower their LDL cholesterol. There are always alternatives.

Severe muscle damage

Rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown) is a genuine but extremely rare side effect of statins. It happens in about one to three people out of every 100,000 taking statins each year, and less commonly still at lower doses. It is more likely if you’re on a higher dose, if you’re taking certain other medications at the same time, or if you have kidney or liver problems or an underactive thyroid.

The problem is that because people occasionally experience muscle aches on statins, they immediately associate this with rhabdomyolysis and become very concerned. Yet the chances of it occurring are negligible, and that small risk needs to be weighed against the benefit.

A 2016 report published in The Lancet remains the clearest quantification: treating 10,000 people for five years with a type of statin called atorvastatin at 40mg would cause about five cases of muscle injury. One of those five might progress to rhabdomyolysis, and 50 to 100 people would report muscle symptoms.

Over the same five years, it would prevent 500-1,000 major vascular events, including deaths and disability from strokes and heart attacks. The benefits outweigh the harms many times over.

Slightly higher risk of diabetes

Taking a statin does slightly increase your average blood-sugar level, and over five years it raises the chance of being diagnosed with diabetes by about 0.5 to 1 per cent – somewhere between one in 200 and one in 100 people.

If you are fit and well, with a normal blood sugar, you will not suddenly become diabetic by going on a statin. It’s the patients who are already borderline – with insulin resistance or obesity – who may be taken over the line from pre-diabetes to diabetes. But those are precisely the patients at highest risk of a future cardiac event, so they are the ones the statin protects most. In these cases, lifestyle interventions such as diet changes, exercise and quitting smoking are recommended alongside taking statins.

Raised liver enzyme levels

With many medications, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and antibiotics, there is a very small risk of liver failure. With statins, this is not a clinical concern: they do not measurably increase your risk of dying from liver failure.

It’s true that about four in 1,000 people have raised liver enzyme levels on blood tests when they start taking statins, but this usually causes no symptoms and is rarely a reason to stop.

Dementia (and the brain cholesterol myth)

There is a widespread myth that taking statins causes dementia. It is based on the fallacious claim that “20 per cent of your brain is cholesterol and yet your doctor is giving you medication to lower your cholesterol”. Biologically this makes no sense. Your brain cholesterol is produced locally, by specialised cells, and has nothing to do with the cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream in LDL particles.

Cognitive impairment is not a side effect of taking statins – The Lancet’s 2026 review confirmed as much. If anything, there is a theoretical gain, because you are decreasing the chance of vascular damage in the brain. Observational studies suggest that long-term statin use may even reduce your risk of developing dementia, although that is not yet proven.

Recommended

The truth about statins, memory and dementia

Read more

Sleep problems

Clinical trials have shown no consistent association between statins and sleep problems, but this is something patients do worry about. Again, the picture is confounded: people on cardiac medication tend to be older, and to have other conditions that disturb sleep. The statin itself has never been shown to cause them.

A few people taking statins that cross the blood-brain barrier – such as simvastatin or atorvastatin – report vivid dreams or disturbed sleep. This is rare, and although it’s hard to conclude whether the drug is the cause, we pragmatically recommend moving the dose to the morning; and if symptoms persist, an alternative such as rosuvastatin can be tried, as it is known not to cross into the brain so easily.

Erectile dysfunction

Statins causing erectile dysfunction is another common chapter in the book of online misinformation, but the link is unfounded. Sexual dysfunction is common among patients with cardiovascular disease, and some heart drugs, such as beta-blockers, can indeed cause it.

That confuses the picture, as those are the same patients who take statins. But there is no scientific evidence that statins cause sexual dysfunction. In fact, some studies suggest they can help, possibly by improving vascular health which then improves blood flow to the genitals.

Oedema (swollen ankles)

Three weeks after stopping my amlodipine  for high blood pressure the swollen left ankle is still there. Right ankle(good leg) never swelled up. I wasn't warned about edema when I started taking the drug. Now on nifedipine.

Oedema – essentially swollen ankles – does happen, but the numbers are very small and it’s not something we worry about. The 2026 analysis previously found roughly seven extra cases per 10,000 people per year, or 0.07 per cent. For comparison, amlodipine, a blood pressure tablet frequently prescribed alongside statins, causes dose-dependent ankle oedema in 5-10 per cent of users.

As told to Damon Syson

Recommended

Why I'm taking statins after avoiding them for nearly a decade

Read more

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Want the real keys to longevity? Pay attention to these 3 critical numbers at your next physical

 I barely do and don't care, worry about these isn't going to extend my joyful life one bit.

Want the real keys to longevity? Pay attention to these 3 critical numbers at your next physical

There is no silver bullet to ensuring a longer, healthier life (and no single supplement, treatment, or hack). Rather, longevity is a complex interplay between genetics, lifestyle, environment, access to health care, and pure luck. But one top longevity doctor says there’s a great way to increase your odds of seeing your 100th birthday: Fight back against chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

“Preventing chronic disease can extend the number of healthy years people have,” says David Dodick, MD, a neurologist and the chief science and medical officer at Atria Health + Research Institute. “We’re preventing diseases that will kill them sooner.”

There are lots of daily habits that can help you slash your risk of chronic disease, and we bet you’re familiar with the greatest hits: eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, prioritizing sleep, and reducing stress. But Dr. Dodick says that there are three key numbers that can forecast your risk level and signal that it’s time to make healthy changes before disaster strikes. And they’re found at your annual physical.

Intrigued? Dr. Dodick shares the metrics you should pay attention to on your next doctor’s visit—and why they matter so much for long-term health.

1. Blood Pressure

Why it matters: Your blood pressure—the force of your blood pushing against your arteries—is a key sign of your cardiovascular health. High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and dementia, says Dr. Dodick. While about half of all American adults have hypertension, not all of them are properly getting treated for it, he adds.

 Related video: Things you didn't know about metformin and longevity that could change your health (Talking With Docs)Your ideal range: You want your blood pressure consistently below 120/80 mm Hg, says Dr. Dodick. (And we mean both the top and bottom numbers.) Stage 1 hypertension is diagnosed with a blood pressure reading of

130/80 mm Hg or higher, per the American Heart Association (AHA).

2. Blood Sugar (A1C)

Why it matters: Type 2 diabetes is an incredibly common chronic disease in the U.S., says Dr. Dodick, and can raise your risk of developing dementia, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health issues. The condition doesn’t happen overnight; it manifests slowly in your blood work in the form of ever-higher blood glucose (sugar) and hemoglobin A1C scores. (The latter denotes the average amount of blood sugar in the previous three months, and is reported as a percentage.)

Your ideal range: While a normal A1C is anything under 5.7 percent, Dr. Dodick says that an optimal score is less than 5.5 percent. “The lower your A1C, the healthier you’re going to be,” he says. Meanwhile, prediabetes is defined by a score of 5.7 to 6.4 percent, and diabetes is 6.5 percent or greater.

3. LDL Cholesterol

Why it matters: Despite its “bad” moniker, your body needs moderate amounts of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to move cholesterol and other lipids through your bloodstream to your cells. But too much of it contributes to plaque buildup in your arteries and is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease and dementia, says Dr. Dodick.

Your ideal range: Dr. Dodick likes his patients to have an LDL of less than 90 mg/dL—a slightly more aggressive number than the AHA’s recommendation of less than 100 mg/dL.

Hate Your Numbers? What to Do Next

It can be scary when your labs reveal issues, even if they’re small. Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do now to improve your numbers and curb your risk of serious health issues in the future. Your doctor can offer specific recommendations, but these are a great starting point:

• Tweak your diet: We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again: Have you considered the Mediterranean diet? It’s flexible, delicious, and linked with reduced weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes risk.(The Mediterranean diet has NO specifics, so you don't even know if you are following it correctly!)
• Move daily: Exercise isn’t just good for your heart health; it’s also critical for reducing diabetes risk and boosting your cognitive health. While 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, plus two days a week of strength training, is the gold standard, even five-minute “exercise snacks” can make a difference.
• Eat more fiber: Fiber: It’s not just for gut health. According to the National Lipid Association, eating 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can help lower total and LDL cholesterol by up to 11 points. If Metamucil makes you sad, add more helpings of foods like berries, apples, and lentils.
• Find some peace: Easier said than done in 2026. But unmitigated stress wreaks havoc on your blood pressure and glucose levels and is linked to various chronic diseases. Make time every day for meditation, yoga, embroidery, puzzling, or any other mindful activity that helps you recenter.(Retirement took care of that and dumping the ex.)
• Consider medication: Sometimes, all the lifestyle changes in the world can’t compensate for your unique genetic wiring. That’s where meds enter the picture. Talk to your doctor about your options and when they think a prescription would be necessary.

Want the real keys to longevity? Pay attention to these 3 critical numbers at your next physical

1.  Blood pressure is treated but don't care about perfection.
2. No clue on blood sugar
3. Not worrying about cholesterol, taking statins, so there.

Want the real keys to longevity? Pay attention to these 3 critical numbers at your next physical

There is no silver bullet to ensuring a longer, healthier life (and no single supplement, treatment, or hack). Rather, longevity is a complex interplay between genetics, lifestyle, environment, access to health care, and pure luck. But one top longevity doctor says there’s a great way to increase your odds of seeing your 100th birthday: Fight back against chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s or other dementias.

“Preventing chronic disease can extend the number of healthy years people have,” says David Dodick, MD, a neurologist and the chief science and medical officer at Atria Health + Research Institute. “We’re preventing diseases that will kill them sooner.”

There are lots of daily habits that can help you slash your risk of chronic disease, and we bet you’re familiar with the greatest hits: eating a nutritious diet, exercising regularly, prioritizing sleep, and reducing stress. But Dr. Dodick says that there are three key numbers that can forecast your risk level and signal that it’s time to make healthy changes before disaster strikes. And they’re found at your annual physical.

Intrigued? Dr. Dodick shares the metrics you should pay attention to on your next doctor’s visit—and why they matter so much for long-term health.

1. Blood Pressure

Why it matters: Your blood pressure—the force of your blood pushing against your arteries—is a key sign of your cardiovascular health. High blood pressure, known as hypertension, is a major risk factor for stroke, heart attack, and dementia, says Dr. Dodick. While about half of all American adults have hypertension, not all of them are properly getting treated for it, he adds.

 Related video: The six pillars of longevity most people ignore (KFMB San Diego)

Your ideal range: You want your blood pressure consistently below 120/80 mm Hg, says Dr. Dodick. (And we mean both the top and bottom numbers.) Stage 1 hypertension is diagnosed with a blood pressure reading of 130/80 mm Hg or higher, per the American Heart Association (AHA).

2. Blood Sugar (A1C)

Why it matters: Type 2 diabetes is an incredibly common chronic disease in the U.S., says Dr. Dodick, and can raise your risk of developing dementia, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health issues. The condition doesn’t happen overnight; it manifests slowly in your blood work in the form of ever-higher blood glucose (sugar) and hemoglobin A1C scores. (The latter denotes the average amount of blood sugar in the previous three months, and is reported as a percentage.)

Your ideal range: While a normal A1C is anything under 5.7 percent, Dr. Dodick says that an optimal score is less than 5.5 percent. “The lower your A1C, the healthier you’re going to be,” he says. Meanwhile, prediabetes is defined by a score of 5.7 to 6.4 percent, and diabetes is 6.5 percent or greater.

3. LDL Cholesterol

Why it matters: Despite its “bad” moniker, your body needs moderate amounts of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to move cholesterol and other lipids through your bloodstream to your cells. But too much of it contributes to plaque buildup in your arteries and is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease and dementia, says Dr. Dodick.

Your ideal range: Dr. Dodick likes his patients to have an LDL of less than 90 mg/dL—a slightly more aggressive number than the AHA’s recommendation of less than 100 mg/dL.

Hate Your Numbers? What to Do Next

It can be scary when your labs reveal issues, even if they’re small. Thankfully, there’s a lot you can do now to improve your numbers and curb your risk of serious health issues in the future. Your doctor can offer specific recommendations, but these are a great starting point:

• Tweak your diet: We’ve said it once, we’ll say it again: Have you considered the Mediterranean diet? It’s flexible, delicious, and linked with reduced weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and diabetes risk.
• Move daily: Exercise isn’t just good for your heart health; it’s also critical for reducing diabetes risk and boosting your cognitive health. While 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, plus two days a week of strength training, is the gold standard, even five-minute “exercise snacks” can make a difference.
• Eat more fiber: Fiber: It’s not just for gut health. According to the National Lipid Association, eating 5 to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can help lower total and LDL cholesterol by up to 11 points. If Metamucil makes you sad, add more helpings of foods like berries, apples, and lentils.
• Find some peace: Easier said than done in 2026. But unmitigated stress wreaks havoc on your blood pressure and glucose levels and is linked to various chronic diseases. Make time every day for meditation, yoga, embroidery, puzzling, or any other mindful activity that helps you recenter.
• Consider medication: Sometimes, all the lifestyle changes in the world can’t compensate for your unique genetic wiring. That’s where meds enter the picture. Talk to your doctor about your options and when they think a prescription would be necessary.

How many eggs should you eat per week to lower the risk of dementia?

 Or is your doctor incompetently stuck in the past and still blames cholesterol in your bloodstream from eating eggs?

How many eggs should you eat per week to lower the risk of dementia?

Eggs are one of the most common foods in the world. Some people start their morning with them, others incorporate them into a salad or a quick dinner, and for years they have stood at the center of countless nutritional debates. Once warned against for their cholesterol, later praised for their protein and nutritional value, a new study now places them once again at the center of attention, this time in the context of brain health.

A large–scale study published recently found an intriguing link between egg consumption and a reduced risk of cognitive decline in older age. Researchers tracked tens of thousands of participants over a period of years and discovered that even a relatively moderate consumption of eggs was associated with a significant advantage.

The study was based on data from more than 39 thousand people aged 65 and older who participated in the large Adventist Health Study 2 in the United States. Throughout the years, participants were asked about their dietary habits, including the frequency of eating eggs, and the researchers tracked their health status for an average of about 15 years.

When the researchers compared the eating habits with the medical diagnoses that developed later, they identified a clear trend: People who ate eggs regularly had a lower risk of developing significant cognitive decline.

 According to the data, even eating eggs only once to three times a month was associated with a 17 percent decrease in risk. Among those who ate eggs two to four times a week, a 20 percent decrease was observed, while among those who ate eggs at least five times a week, a 27 percent decrease was observed.

Why eggs specifically?

According to the researchers, eggs contain several nutritional components that are particularly important for brain activity.

One of the central ones among them is choline, a substance that the body uses to produce acetylcholine: A neurotransmitter with a central role in memory, learning, and attention. Previous studies have already shown that people suffering from cognitive decline often have lower levels of acetylcholine and damage to the cells that produce it.

One hard–boiled egg contains about 27 percent of the recommended daily intake of choline, making it one of the richest dietary sources of this component.

Beyond that, eggs also contain antioxidants such as lutein and zeaxanthin. These are natural pigments that are also found in green vegetables and corn, and are considered substances that may assist in reducing inflammation and oxidative stress in neural tissues.

In addition, eggs provide omega–3 and phospholipids: Healthy fats that support cell structure and the capacity for communication between nerve cells.

Not only eggs: What else is important for the brain?

Experts emphasize that there is no single magic food that can guarantee a healthy brain over the years. Numerous studies indicate that a Mediterranean–style diet, based on vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, olive oil, and whole grains, is associated with better preservation of brain functions. Dietary patterns such as DASH and MIND have also been linked in recent years to a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

But diet is only part of the picture. Regular physical activity, quality sleep, social activity, intellectual stimulation, and stress reduction are all considered important factors in maintaining brain health over the years.

So how many eggs is it really advisable to eat? Nutrition experts explain that for most healthy people, eating eggs in moderation is considered safe and can even be part of a balanced and healthy menu.

In recent years, many health organizations have already moved away from the old approach that warned against eggs sweepingly, especially when they are consumed as part of a balanced diet.

However, people with certain heart diseases, particularly high cholesterol, or other medical conditions still need to consult a doctor or a dietitian regarding the amount that is appropriate for them.

Meanwhile, the new study adds another layer to the scientific debate surrounding one of the simplest and most popular foods in the world: It serves as a reminder that even our small habits in the kitchen may have a long–term impact on health.

New Cholesterol Guidelines Are Here: 10 Key Takeaways (and 1 Assignment) by Super Age

 Test your competent? doctor on how long before s/he informs you of this.

New Cholesterol Guidelines Are Here: 10 Key Takeaways (and 1 Assignment)

Get Your Cholesterol Even Lower and Start Younger, New Guideline Says

 

Sorry, but cholesterol is not the problem; INFLAMMATION IS! Without inflammation the arteries wouldn't be grabbing cholesterol to pack into plaque. Medical personnel took the shortcut and left the real cause still out there. And solving the correct problem would negate use of statins, Big Pharma will never allow such research to be completed.

Why doesn't your doctor know about this? Your doctor, like mine, will use the excuse that statins reduce inflammation.

Inflammation video explaining it here:

The accent is a bit hard to understand and needs to be rerecorded to a laypersons understanding.

Inflammation In Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation YouTube 

The latest here:

Get Your Cholesterol Even Lower and Start Younger, New Guideline Says

This is the main paragraph for us:

Those with at least a 10 percent risk of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years should get their LDL below 70. Those who have already had a heart attack or stroke, or who have peripheral artery disease, should get their LDL below 55.

Two Days of Oatmeal May Lower Bad Cholesterol by 10 Percent, Study Finds

 Didn't your competent? doctor have you eating oatmeal in the hospital years ago? NO? So, your doctor, hospital and board of directors are fuckingly incompetent? 

• Oatmeal (2 posts to May 2015)

Two Days of Oatmeal May Lower Bad Cholesterol by 10 Percent, Study Finds

Four risk factors linked to 99% of strokes, study finds

 Sorry, but cholesterol is not the problem; INFLAMMATION IS! Without inflammation the arteries wouldn't be grabbing cholesterol to pack into plaque. Medical personnel took the shortcut and left the real cause still out there. And solving the correct problem would negate use of statins, Big Pharma will never allow such research to be completed.

Why doesn't your doctor know about this?

Inflammation video explaining it  here:

The accent is a bit hard to understand and needs to be  rerecorded to a laypersons understanding.

Inflammation In Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation YouTube 

The latest here:

Four risk factors linked to 99% of strokes, study finds

Nearly all strokes and heart attacks follow one of four risk factors, new research shows.

These include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and tobacco smoking, whether past or current.

Together, they preceded 99 per cent of all cardiovascular events during a long-term study that analysed health data from more than 9 million adults in South Korea and the US.Even in women under 60, the demographic with the lowest risk of cardiovascular events, more than 95 per cent of heart attacks or strokes were linked to one of these existing risk factors.

High blood pressure was most commonly tied to events. In both the US and South Korea, more than 93 per cent of people who had a heart attack, stroke or heart failure had hypertension beforehand.

Philip Greenland, senior author and cardiologist from Northwestern University, said: “We think the study shows very convincingly that exposure to one or more nonoptimal risk factors before these cardiovascular outcomes is nearly 100 per cent.

“The goal now is to work harder on finding ways to control these modifiable risk factors rather than to get off track in pursuing other factors that are not easily treatable and not causal.”

Greenland and his co-authors note that the results challenge recent claims that cardiovascular events in the absence of risk factors are increasing, suggesting that previous studies may have missed diagnoses or overlooked risk factor levels below the clinical diagnostic threshold.

In an accompanying editorial, Duke University cardiologist Neha Pagidipati, who was not involved in the study, writes that the results show how important it is to manage health risks before they lead to serious, potentially fatal outcomes.

“We can, and must, do better,” Pagidipati said.

A comparative analysis of the cholesterol–high-density lipoprotein–glucose index and the triglyceride–glucose index in predicting in-hospital mortality in critically ill ischemic stroke patients

Survivors actually want you to do research that prevents this problem!  WITH NO LEADERSHIP IN STROKE NOTHNING EVER GETS DONE PROPERLY!

 A comparative analysis of the cholesterol–high-density lipoprotein–glucose index and the triglyceride–glucose index in predicting in-hospital mortality in critically ill ischemic stroke patients

Huang LuwenLi LinlinYu Ming^*†Xu Lei^*†

• Department of Neurology, Suining Central Hospital, Suining, Sichuan, China

Background: The Cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, and glucose (CHG) index has emerged as a potential indicator of metabolic disturbance, but its prognostic value in patients with ischemic stroke (IS) remains unclear. This study aimed to assess whether the CHG index could predict 28-day in-hospital mortality in critically ill IS patients and to compare its performance with the established triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index.

Methods: We conducted a cohort analysis using data from the eICU database, involving 1,670 critically ill patients diagnosed with IS between 2014 and 2015. CHG and TyG indices were computed for each patient. Their associations with 28-day in-hospital mortality were examined using multivariable Cox regression. To further investigate the associations, restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was conducted. Kaplan–Meier curves were used to compare outcomes across different TyG and CHG groups. Predictive accuracy was compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess consistency across different clinical characteristics.

Results: Among the study population, 158 (9.46%) patients died within 28 days of hospitalization. The CHG index showed a greater association with mortality (HR 1.554; 95% CI 1.198–2.018; p < 0.001) compared to the TyG index (HR 1.436; 95% CI 1.175–1.755; p < 0.001) in unadjusted models, and both remained significant after adjustment. RCS analysis demonstrated a linear relationship between both indices and 28-day in-hospital mortality. ROC curves showed similar discriminatory ability for the CHG and TyG indices. No significant interactions were observed in subgroup analyses (p > 0.05; p for interaction >0.05).

Conclusions: Higher CHG index values are independently associated with increased 28-day mortality in critically ill IS patients, showing a linear relationship and predictive performance comparable to that of the TyG index.

Dietary cholesterol intake and egg consumption in relation to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality after stroke

 But hasn't dietary cholesterol been proven not to be a CVD risk? Hasn't this horse been beaten to death multiple times?

Why Dietary Cholesterol Does Not Matter (For Most People) 

September 2023

Dietary cholesterol intake and egg consumption in relation to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality after stroke

• Lingfan Xia, 
• Tong Xu & 
• Zhenxiang Zhan 

Scientific Reports volume 15, Article number: 35163 (2025) Cite this article

Abstract

The findings on the associations of dietary cholesterol intake and egg consumption with mortality in the general population remain inconclusive. Our objective was to evaluate all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in relation to dietary cholesterol intake and egg consumption in a cohort of stroke survivors, a particularly vulnerable population. We conducted a prospective cohort analysis of 1367 stroke survivors recruited across the United States between 1999 and 2018. Dietary information was evaluated by a 24-h dietary recall at baseline obtained from NHANES while mortality data were derived from the National Death Index with follow-up through 2019. To investigate the associations of dietary cholesterol intake or egg consumption with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, Cox proportional hazards and restricted cubic splines models were utilized. After a median follow-up of 79.0 months, the incidence per 1000 person-years was 59.9 (95% confidence interval [CI], 55.2–64.9) for all-cause and 23.3 (95% CI, 20.4–26.5) for cardiovascular mortality. Each 100 mg/1000 kcal/day elevation in cholesterol intake was related to raised risk of all-cause (hazard ratio [HR], 1.16; 95% CI, 1.05–1.27) and cardiovascular mortality (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.00–1.31). A greater risk of all-cause mortality was shown in participants consuming > 1 egg/day (HR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.06–1.84). The dose-response analysis highlighted the lowest risk of all-cause mortality when egg consumption was around 33.3 g/day. The observed correlations of dietary cholesterol intake or egg consumption with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were stronger in the subgroups with cardiometabolic diseases (obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia) or risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases (advanced age). Among stoke survivors, greater dietary cholesterol connects to an escalated risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in a linear manner. Moderate egg consumption (≤ 1 egg/day) is relatively safe and excessive consumption links to an elevated risk of all-cause mortality.