Category: health

Gloomy news if you are overweight

kaitiscotland5 Comments
diabetes in cats
He’s a pudgy pussy – but may have a better chance than humans of getting slim again

Obese Have Low Chance of Recovering Normal Body Weight

From Diabetes in Control July 17th 2016

The chance of an obese person attaining normal body weight is 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women, increasing to 1 in 1,290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with severe obesity, according to a study of UK health records led by King’s College London. The findings suggest that current weight management programmes focused on dieting and exercise are not effective in tackling obesity at population level.

The research, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), tracked the weight of 278,982 participants (129,194 men and 149,788) women using electronic health records from 2004 to 2014. The study looked at the probability of obese patients attaining normal weight or a 5% reduction in body weight; patients who received bariatric surgery were excluded from the study. A minimum of three body mass index (BMI) records per patient was used to estimate weight changes.

The annual chance of obese patients achieving five per cent weight loss was 1 in 12 for men and 1 in 10 for women. For those people who achieved five per cent weight loss, 53 per cent regained this weight within two years and 78 percent had regained the weight within five years.

Overall, only 1,283 men and 2,245 women with a BMI of 30-35 reached their normal body weight, equivalent to an annual probability of 1 in 210 for men and 1 in 124 for women; for those with a BMI above 40, the odds increased to 1 in 1,290 for men and 1 in 677 for women with severe obesity.

Weight cycling, with both increases and decreases in body weight, was also observed in more than a third of patients. The study concludes that current obesity treatments are failing to achieve sustained weight loss for the majority of obese patients.

Dr. Alison Fildes, first author from the Division of Health and Social Care Research at King’s College London (and now based at UCL), said: ‘Losing 5 to 10 per cent of your body weight has been shown to have meaningful health benefits and is often recommended as a weight loss target. These findings highlight how difficult it is for people with obesity to achieve and maintain even small amounts of weight loss.’

“The main treatment options offered to obese patients in the UK are weight management programmes accessed via their GP. This evidence suggests the current system is not working for the vast majority of obese patients.” “Once an adult becomes obese, it is very unlikely that they will return to a healthy body weight. New approaches are urgently needed to deal with this issue. Obesity treatments should focus on preventing overweight and obese patients gaining further weight, while also helping those that do lose weight to keep it off. More importantly, priority needs to be placed on preventing weight gain in the first place.”

Professor Martin Gulliford, senior author from the Division of Health and Social Care Research at King’s College London, said: “Current strategies to tackle obesity, which mainly focus on cutting calories and boosting physical activity, are failing to help the majority of obese patients to shed weight and maintain that weight loss. The greatest opportunity for stemming the current obesity epidemic is in wider-reaching public health policies to prevent obesity in the population.”

Kings College London News Release
Alison Fildes. American Journal of Public Health. Published online ahead of print July 16, 2015: e1–e6. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2015.302773

Jovina cooks Italian: Grass fed beef steaks and mushrooms

kaitiscotland2 Comments

highland cow.jpeg

Clean Food for Thought: Shrimp with Avocado Salsa

kaitiscotland6 Comments

 

maxresdefault (3)Shrimp  with Avocado Salsa | Food For Thought
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Shrimp  with Avocado Salsa

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the Avocado Salsa

  • 2 ripe avocado, diced
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
  • ½ jalapeno, seeded and diced
  • 3 tbsp cilantro, minced
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the Shrimp

  • 24 medium shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp fresh lime juice
  • Optional Toppings: red cabbage

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl, mix the shrimp, 1 tbsp olive oil, chili powder, cumin, salt and lime juice. Let sit in the fridge for 5-10 minutes before cooking.
  2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the salsa. Set aside.
  3. Heat a small to medium skillet on medium with the rest of the olive oil. Once hot, add in the marinated shrimp. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the shrimp is not opaque.
  4. Put some chopped cabbage on a plate, put6 warm shrimps  on top with the salsa on top of this.

Enjoy!

(originally published on cleanfoodforthought and reproduced by kind permission)

 

 

New Year Resolutions – A Low Carb Diet?

Emma2 Comments
2014-03-23-12-07-09
Bacon, mushroom and poached egg salad.

Are you making New Year resolutions to diet?! It’s that tedious time of year when we are encouraged to self-improve – usually on a big scale.

Punishing diets and exercise regimes work for very few people. Why would you make yourself suffer in that way? But if you do want to improve your health and stabilise your blood sugar levels, especially if you have diabetes, why not opt for the low-carb diet?

Low-carb diets can be easier to stick to than most diets because they tend to be higher in protein which keeps you feeling full for longer. Because they incorporate delicious ingredients like cheese, avocados, oily fish, cream, nuts and more there’s none of the deprivation feelings either.

Remember too that low-carb is a broad church. You can do anything from 45g of carbs a day to 130-150g. If you opt for the higher carb count, fill up on natural sources such as the higher-carb vegetables and fruits.

Resolutions – and any kind of change to the lifestyle – need preparation and planning to succeed. Here are our tips for how to adopt and stick with a low-carb diet:

Plan what you will eat and shop for the ingredients. Our book, The Diabetes Diet, has meal plans in it and you will also find plenty of suggestions online.

If you have type 1 diabetes or you use any blood glucose lowering medication, you need to start a low carb diet cautiously. Read our tips here about preparing to lower your carbohydrate intake and how to adjust medication to suit

Buy one good recipe book. A great example is Dana Carpender’s 500 Low Carb Recipes (left). This is an American recipe book, but most of the ingredients are available over here.

Buy yourself a set of measuring cups. Many of low-carb recipes are American – and Americans use cups to measure, rather than scales. Cup measures are widely available.

The above two suggestions depend on one thing – willingness to cook. Because low-carb diets don’t have many ready-made options, cooking is a necessity. Most low-carb recipes are really easy to follow, but quick and easy ideas are cooked meats and chicken with ready-made salads and dressing, good quality burgers with a slice of cheese, any kind of egg dish or prepared fish and prawn cocktail. You can also buy cauliflower rice these days for an instant accompaniment.

peanut-pork
Spicy Peanut Pork

Try out our recipes! Here are some suggestions.

  1. Meatballs
  2. Pancakes
  3. Spicy Peanut Pork
  4. Spinach and Feta Crust-less Quiche
  5. Low-carb Chocolate Cookies
  6. Crab Cakes
  7. Easy Low-Carb Bread

Start following our blog. We update this blog regularly with recipes and health information about diabetes.

All the very best to you for 2017!

 

What do you do if you run out of insulin?

kaitiscotland3 Comments
type 1 diabetes medical equipment

time-699965_960_720
The predicament of having difficulty getting insulin if it runs out for any reason, shouldn’t be a disaster in the UK. We have the NHS and you can go to your regular Pharmacist, ANY Pharmacist, your own GP, ANY GP or ANY Accident and Emergency Department and get a prescription free of charge.  
This is NOT the situation in the USA and here is a “Disasters Averted” story published o  16 August 20016 which discusses the situation and possible options you can take if you live there or ever face problems in the country in which you live.
As always with diabetes it helps to know about your possible options before the worst happens. When travelling always carry double what you think you will need. Insulin MUST be taken on carry on luggage so it doesn’t freeze in the hold of a plane. Also split your medications and gear with a pal so that if one of you is robbed you have spares.
 
 Out  of Insulin, Too Early to Renew — What To Do?

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It is not unusual for people to have difficulty keeping insulin from freezing or getting overheated. A patient, with type 1 diabetes for 17 years, had glucose that did not respond to his rapid-acting insulin as it usually does. He had two new vials in the refrigerator. He took a new vial out of his refrigerator earlier in the day, and started using it a few hours after he took it out. Had high post prandials that did not respond as usual to correcting. He had enough experience to wonder if perhaps something was wrong with his new insulin, so he thought he’d try another vial. He saw it was frozen. He had put the two vials at the back, where for many refrigerators it is colder. He thought back and wondered if the first vial looked any different, but remembered, he did not look closely at it.

He then went to get a new prescription filled at his pharmacy, but was told insurance would not cover it at this date; it was too early. It was cost prohibitive for him to pay out of pocket ~$300.00/vial. He contacted a diabetes health care provider (hcp) who offered him two sample vials to cover him until his prescription would once again be covered. He corrected and his glucose lowered. Disaster averted!

Not everyone has the luxury of having a hcp who has samples available in such a timely manner. If their hcp even had them, what if it were a weekend, or another time that the hcp did not have access to the samples? I reached out to certified diabetes educator, Laurie Klipfel, RN, MSN, BC-ANP, CDE, to see if she could offer any pearls of wisdom:

“This was a recent discussion on an AADE list serve with many good suggestions. The best suggestion was asking the healthcare provider if samples were available.  My next option would be to see if the insurance would make an exception under the circumstances (but this may take time). Someone with type 1 needs their insulin and cannot wait a day or two. The next option is to see if a diabetes educator could contact a rep for samples (their prescribing healthcare provider would also need to be involved). My next option would be to see if there were coupons available online from websites like: www.rxpharmacycoupons.com, or other websites. As a last resort (but may be the fastest option in a pinch), if a patient was not able to afford the analog insulins such as Novolog, Humalog, or Apidra, I might suggest discussing with the healthcare provider if using regular insulin instead would be an option. Though the analogs match insulin need to insulin much better than regular insulin, taking regular insulin (especially when using a generic brand such as Walmart’s ReliOn brand) can be a much cheaper option and would be much better than not taking any meal dose insulin at all.  It would be beneficial to explain the differences in action times and suggest taking regular insulin 15-30 min. before the meal and beware of potential hypoglycemia 3-5 hours after injection due to longer action of regular. Of note, you do not need a prescription for regular, NPH or 70/30 insulin.

“I would also agree with suggestions made on the list serve for keeping the insulin in the door of the refrigerator and using a thermometer in the refrigerator. If the temperature in the refrigerator is not stable, it may be helpful to have the thermostat of the refrigerator checked.“

Lessons Learned:

 

    • People who have diabetes, especially type 1 diabetes, need to have and take insulin that is effective.
    • If you have type 1 diabetes, you are in danger of DKA. Know what it is, how to prevent, recognize, and get help for DKA.
    • A back-up plan for insulin gone bad or not available.
    • To double check insulin when taken out of the refrigerator for the “feel of the temperature” of the insulin. Do not use if hot, warm, or frozen.
    • To know what their insulin should look like, clear or cloudy. Avoid it if crystals, clumps or anything unusual is noted.
    • The onset, peak, and length of action of insulins they are taking, as well as replacements if needed.
    • If insulin is not available and can’t get insulin within hours, to visit the nearest ED or urgent care center.

Most people need a minimum of one hour exercise a day

kaitiscotland1 Comment

walking

How Much Exercise Compensates for Sitting at a Desk for eight Hours A Day?

Diabetes in Control August 27th 2016

At least an hour of physical activity needed to offset risk for several chronic conditions and mortality

Sedentary behavior has been associated with increased risk of several chronic conditions and mortality. However, it is unclear whether physical activity attenuates or even eliminates the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting. A new study examined the associations of sedentary behavior and physical activity with all-cause mortality.

The meta-analysis of trials involving more than 1 million individuals was reported online July 27 in The Lancet. It is one of a special series of papers on physical activity.

The Lancet notes that its first series on physical activity in 2012 concluded that, “physical inactivity is as important a modifiable risk factor for chronic diseases as obesity and tobacco.” The meta-analysis found that 1 hour of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking or riding a bicycle, can offset the health risks of sitting for 8 hours a day. Twenty-five percent of all individuals in the study reported this level of physical activity. The study also discovered that even shorter periods of 25 minutes a day can be beneficial.

For those of us who work by sitting at a desk, it can be very difficult not to sit while we do our jobs.  But, there are still many ways to get moving, like going for a walk during lunch, or even getting up and walking over to an associate to hand them a note instead of sending an email.  There are many ways to get in your physical activity.

According to the researchers, the data from more than a million people is the first meta-analysis to use a harmonized approach to directly compare mortality between people with different levels of sitting time and physical activity. They included 16 studies, with data on 1,005,791 individuals (aged >45 years) from the United States, Western Europe, and Australia.

Researchers divided the study participants into four groups based on their reported levels of physical activity: <5 min/day; 25-35 min/day; 50-60 min/day; and 60-75 min/day.

Researchers noted that, “Among the most active, there was no significant relation between the amount of sitting and mortality rates, suggesting that high physical activity eliminated the increased risk of prolonged sitting on mortality.” But as the amount of physical activity decreased, the risk for premature death increased.

Researchers found prolonged sitting associated with an increase in all-cause mortality, mainly due to cardiovascular disease and cancer (breast, colon, and colorectal), noting that, “A clear dose-response association was observed, with an almost curvilinear augmented risk for all-cause mortality with increased sitting time in combination with lower levels of activity.”

Compared with the referent group (i.e., those sitting <4 h/day and in the most active quartile [>35·5 MET-h per week]), mortality rates during follow-up were 12–59% higher in the two lowest quartiles of physical activity (from HR=1·12, 95% CI 1·08–1·16, for the second lowest quartile of physical activity [<16 MET-h per week] and sitting <4 h/day; to HR=1·59, 1·52–1·66, for the lowest quartile of physical activity [<2·5 MET-h per week] and sitting >8 h/day). Daily sitting time was not associated with increased all-cause mortality in those in the most active quartile of physical activity. Compared with the referent (<4 h of sitting per day and highest quartile of physical activity [>35·5 MET-h per week]), there was no increased risk of mortality during follow-up in those who sat for more than 8 h/day but who also reported >35·5 MET-h per week of activity (HR=1·04; 95% CI 0·99–1·10). By contrast, those who sat the least (<4 h/day) and were in the lowest activity quartile (<2·5 MET-h per week) had a significantly increased risk of dying during follow-up (HR=1·27, 95% CI 1·22–1·31). Six studies had data on TV-viewing time (N=465 450; 43 740 deaths). Watching TV for 3 h or more per day was associated with increased mortality regardless of physical activity, except in the most active quartile, where mortality was significantly increased only in people who watched TV for 5 h/day or more (HR=1·16, 1·05–1·28).

In conclusion, the researchers emphasized that high levels of moderate intensity physical activity (i.e., about 60–75 min per day) seem to eliminate the increased risk of death associated with high sitting time. However, this high activity level attenuates, but does not eliminate the increased risk associated with high TV-viewing time. These results provide further evidence on the benefits of physical activity, particularly in societies where increasing numbers of people have to sit for long hours for work and may also inform future public health recommendations.

In another study published online by JAMA Ophthalmology in August, they found that sedentary behavior may be associated with diabetic retinopathy.  The analysis included 282 participants with diabetes. The average age was 62 years, 29 percent had mild or worse DR, and participants engaged in an average of 522 min/d of SB. The author found that for a 60-min/d increase in SB, participants had 16 percent increased odds of having mild or worse DR; total PA was not associated with DR.  “The plausibility of this positive association between SB and DR may in part be a result of the increased cardiovascular disease risks associated with SB, which in turn may increase the risk of DR.  In order to prove a cause and effect of SB and worsening DR s larger study would be needed.”

Practice Pearls

  • Inactivity is linked to a decreased production of certain hormones.
  • We need to break up periods of sitting for prolonged periods with short bursts of activity.
  • Walking 5 minutes every hour can offset sitting for the other 55 minutes per hour.

Lancet. Published online July 27, 2016. Abstract Editorial How Much Exercise Compensates for Sitting at a Desk Eight Hours A Day?#848 (1)]–[www_diabetesincontrol_com_how_]-[MTExNjQyNDI1NTE1S0]–

Low carb store: Meatball bombs

kaitiscotland2 Comments

 

meatballs

This recipe makes four bombs and they each have 4g of carbohydrate.  We have meatball recipes separately on this site.

 

Ingredients

  • 120g grated mozzarella
  • 65g almond flour
  • 2 tbsp full fat cream cheese
  • 1 medium egg
  • 1/2 tsp dried herbs
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 4 cooked meatballs
  • 8 tbsp passata

Pre-heat the oven to 180c and prepare a baking sheet with a layer of greaseproof paper. Put the mozzarella and cream cheese in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds – stir. Add the egg and almond flour and mix to a dough. Divide into 4 equal parts and flatten out gently with the palm of your hand. Place a meatball in the centre of each circle and top with a good dollop of passata and a sprinkle of mozzarella. Bring the sides up and around the meatball and squeeze together at the top to form a parcel. Crush the garlic clove and melt with the butter. Spoon the butter over each of the bombs and sprinkle with herbs. Cook in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Devour immediately.

Scottish Government to Increase Funding for Diabetes Equipment

Emma2 Comments

In the news this week was a story that the Scottish Government is to increase funding for diabetes equipment.

The £10m funding is to be used to improve the management of type 1 diabetes and the priority is insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring equipment.

Shona Robison, the Health Secretary, said: “We know that insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring kits can make it much easier for some people to manage their type 1 diabetes.

“Proper control is absolutely key to improving outcomes and preventing complications from developing.

“This new investment will increase the provision of this equipment, meaning it’s available to many more people, and making it easier for them to lead healthy lives.”

Scotland has the third highest rates of type 1 diabetes in the world. A major trial is currently taking place to try to prevent the development of the condition. Researchers have contacted 6,400 families in Scotland. They are inviting children who have a sibling or parent with type 1 diabetes to take a blood test to see if they are at risk of developing the condition.

If the blood test shows they are at risk, the researchers are offering them metformin – a drug usually used to treat type 2 – to see if this will keep it at bay.

 

 

Book Review: Are you looking forward to Christmas… or just wanting to survive it?

kaitiscotland4 Comments

Rick Phillips, one of our fellow bloggers, has enjoyed reading Lene Anderson’s book Chronic Christmas, which gives some tips for the less enthusiastic among us on how to make the best of Christmas.

happy-christmas

| November 20, 2016 | General, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes | 13 Comments

capture_313x480I was so excited to hear about Chronic Christmas Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic  Illness.  It came to me at exactly the right time of year, and I was in the mood for some fun and practical advice about the holiday season.  When this book arrived in the mail, I was excited to see what Lene might share to help me find that contentment and excitement about the holiday season.  As a person with choric conditions, I sometimes have difficulty getting into the season.  Lene’s words helped me discover some reasons I feel out of step with the rest of the world and gave me practical advice about how to overcome some of my barriers.

Lene shares such wonderful tips for slowing down and basking in the goodness of the holiday season.  Her writing style is easy; her essays are well conceived, and the result is a partial guide to managing the Christmas season with a good touch of fun.  She manages to capture the season in short bursts of narrative that can make even the grumpiest old man find his inner goodness.  Here are a few chapters that especially spoke to me.

December 2, Pace Yourself When Eating.

As a person with diabetes, I often feel left out of the annual celebrations because I see others enjoying food while I enjoy the Television.  In this chapter, Lene reinforces the well know notion that the holidays are not about the food.  Rather they are about who is eating the food.  Her chapter gives me permission to enjoy those who are at the gathering instead of the food at the gathering.   I think it is sometimes difficult for people with diabetes to know this and Lene approached the subject in a way that offers constructive tips.  For instance:

“Moderation is key, Instead of five pieces of Candy stick to one (okay, two).” (Andersen, 2016, p. 7).

“Instead of four glasses of eggnog, have one per occasion and drink sparkling water or tea for the rest of the evening. And so on. You won’t feel deprived. And you won’t stand out as that one person who’s nibbling on a lettuce leaf, making the other guests feel bad for scarfing down everything in sight.” (Andersen, 2016, pp. 7-8)

chronic-christmas-back_314x480December 8, Say Hello

Lene reminds us that we need not remain isolated because we have a chronic condition.  She suggests we try an experiment to break out of our shell.  She suggests that on December 8 we leave the book or earphones at home and practice looking up and out at the world.  She suggests we should look at and marvel in the crowds as they pass by.  She reminds me that people watching is both entertaining and a great way to connect to the world at large.  (Andersen, 2016).  This is great advice for the many times we feel isolated or somewhat alone in the world.  After all, connection is what the holiday season is all about.

For the person who cares about the person with a chronic condition Lene suggests that they offer a drive or a trip to a coffee shop to help people get out in the world.  She suggests:

“Chat with each other, but reach out to others as well. The people at the next table, the clerk, a security guard. Slow down, take the time, exchange a few words. You could very well make someone’s day and you might meet someone really interesting” (Andersen, 2016, p. 35).

These are terrific ideas for helping both ourselves and others.  In fact, opening up during the holidays might make everything brighter.  Lene’s advice gives us the reminder that we need not be isolated while others are engaged in the business of the season.

December 21 – Celebrate Disasters

For me, this was the best advice of the book.  When we celebrate disasters, we have a built in mechanism to make sure things go right.   I love how Lene starts this chapter:

“What do you remember from past Christmases — the times everything went according to plan or the moments when imperfection snuck into the celebrations? We work so hard to make the holidays perfect, but that’s not what makes for enduring family legends. You know the type — the ones that get told and retold, with everyone talking over each other, adding details, and laughing together. Those stories always originate in disasters” (Andersen, 2016, p. 93)

I totally agree with her observation.  The real stories of the season are the ones that revolve around disasters.  So I took this chapter as the best advice I received from Lene’s’ book.    This year, I vow to celebrate the many disasters in my life past, present and future. I will take time to celebrate this year: the time the lock was frozen on the storage barn where I stored the Christmas presents or the time the cat climbed/knocked over the Christmas tree because doing so can prolong the celebration of the season.

So how do I feel about Lene’s book?  I loved it.  You can pick it up on Amazon or Barnes and Noble along with some other retailers.   It is a great gift for those who love people with chronic conditions or those of us who live with chronic conditions.  I am glad I treated myself to this book, and I hope you will as well.   Reading it is way too much fun to miss.

References

 Andersen, L. (2016). Chronic Christmas Surviving the Holidays with a Chronic  Illness. Toronto Two North Books

 

Related Posts

About The Author

Rick Phillips

Rick Phillips has Type 1 diabetes (since 1974) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (since 2000), he resides in Indiana with his wife Sheryl. In addition to RADiabetes his blogs can be found at http://www.CreakyJoints.org and http://www.TUDiabetes.org

13 Comments

      1. Sam Moss November 20, 2016 Reply

        Really helpful & timely post Rick. I’ve shared on a couple of support group. Thank you & I hope you & your family have a happy & blessed Christmas
        Sam xx

          • Rick Phillips November 21, 2016 Reply

            It is a great book. I hope Lene sells a bunch of them.

      1. Cathy November 21, 2016 Reply

        I loved this book too. #21 is the best, isn’t it?

      1. Karen November 22, 2016 Reply

        Sounds like a great read, Rick. Thanks for sharing!!

      1. Emma November 24, 2016 Reply

        Thanks Rick – this does sound like a useful read.

          • Rick Phillips November 24, 2016 Reply

            It is Emma, It is avialabel on Kindle, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

      1. Lisa Ehrman November 29, 2016 Reply

        Thanks for sharing this post/book review at Together on Tuesdays. This book seems perfect for those of us with chronic illnesses.

          • Rick Phillips December 1, 2016 Reply

            Lisa, it is my pleasure. I think if you pick it up you will not be disappointed.

      1. Carla Kienast December 9, 2016 Reply

        Hi Rick: It’s been great getting to know you these last few months. Thanks so much for everything you do for our community. I hope that you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. I look forward to spending more time with you in 2017!

          • Rick Phillips December 9, 2016 Reply

            Thank you for the kind comment Carla. It has been a wonderful pleasure getting to know you as well. I think 2017 is shaping up to be a wonderful year.

      1. kaitiscotland December 10, 2016 Reply

        I would love to reblog this article. Is that okay?

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Over 60 with high LDL? : So what?

kaitiscotland3 Comments

maxresdefault

If you are over the age of 60 it’s time to stop fretting about your total cholesterol and low density cholesterol levels. Unless perhaps the levels are on the low side. Indeed total mortality rates are at least the same and usually better if your cholesterol levels are high.  Many doctors now believe it is the PATTERN of different lipid levels that is much more important, particularly high triglycerides and low HDL.

This systematic review tells the story:

Lack of an association or an inverse association between low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and mortality in the elderly: a systematic review — Ravnskov et al. 6 (6) — BMJ Open

BMJ Open 2016;6:e010401 doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010401