Elevated Cholesterol May Deteriorate Bones

Elevated Cholesterol May Deteriorate Bones

Aside fromhigh cholesterol increasing the risk of heart disease, new research suggeststhat it may also be bad for the bones. The study included 1303 postmenopausalwomen with higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-the "bad"cholesterol-and showed that they were more likely to show signs of bonethinning, compared with women with normal cholesterol. Although the findings donot prove that high cholesterol is the reason for bone thinning, the resultsgive a possible explanation for studies suggesting that statins protect bones,researchers reported in Obstetricsand Gynecology (November 2003). In the new study, women aged 45 to 65 whohad gone through menopause had their bone density measured and cholesterollevels tested. The participants were separated into 3 groups based on LDLlevels: normal (129 mg/dL), moderately high (130-150 mg/dL), and high (160 mg/dLand above). Women with high LDL levels were 74% more likely to have osteopenia,a bone-thinning condition not unlike osteoporosis, compared with women withnormal LDL levels. Osteopenia was also more prevalent in older women and thosewith a low body mass index. Plus, the longer it had been since menopause, thegreater the odds of having bone thinning, according to the report.