Research Links Low Cholesterol to Violent Death

Low cholesterol could be responsible for higher rates of violent death among some people, particularly men, a study released Saturday suggests.

Researchers found that men with blood cholesterol levels of less than 160 milligrams per deciliter met with homicide, suicide or fatal accidents 50% to 80% more often than those with the highest levels of cholesterol.

Women with low cholesterol were nearly 30% more prone to violent death, the study showed.

The findings, published in today’s issue of the American College of Physicians’ Annals of Internal Medicine, were based on computer-database surveys of more than 30 peer-reviewed medical reports and analyses from the United States and Europe.

Dr. Beatrice Golomb, staff physician at San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center in California, said it is possible that low cholesterol is accompanied by a reduction in serotonin, a brain chemical believed to control violent behavior.