Re: Merck wants to freak you out about plant cholesterol

[Guest guest]

If plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased

incidence of coronary events, then you have to worry about eating

pumpkin seeds and taking saw palmetto supplements. Phytosterols are

also being added to various foods (e.g., margarines) for the purpose

of lowering cholesterol.

http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/bet_0236.shtml

http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/phy_0205.shtml

Tony

====

>

> So you were a good boy, sat up straight, and ate your greens?

Doesn't matter, Merck and friends wants you to get tested for your

" sitosterol " concentration, because this " plant cholesterol " can mess

you up.

> They may have something here, as a metabolism that is not

appropriately " gating " sterol compounds may be dysfunctional to a

degree that is going to meet with disaster barring pharmacologic

intervention.

> However, there is another possibility, and that is of " dietary

burden " of sitosterol. If this is contributing to the effect they are

describing, then vegetarians/vegans are endangering themselves.

> Needless to say, these findings are highly preliminary.

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

> Plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased

incidence of coronary events in men: Results of a nested case-control

analysis of the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

> Gerd Assmanna, b, , , Cullena, Erbeyc, Dena R. Rameyd,

Kannenberga, b and Helmut Schultea

>

> aLeibniz-Institut für Arterioskleroseforschung an der Universität

Münster, Domagkstrasse 3, 48149 Münster, Germany

> bInstitut für Klihiscne Chemie and Laboratoriumsmedizin,

Universitätsklinik

> cSchering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Kenilworth, NJ, USA

> dMerck Research Laboratories, Blue Bell, PA, USA

>

> Received 16 December 2004; revised 8 April 2005; accepted 12 April

2005. Available online 28 July 2005.

>

>

>

> SummaryBackground and aim

> Sitosterolemia, a rare genetic disorder characterized by profoundly

elevated plasma sitosterol concentrations, is associated with

premature atherosclerosis in some individuals. This study was

conducted to evaluate if the modest sitosterol elevations seen in the

general population are also associated with the occurrence of coronary

events. Methods and results

> A nested case-control study using stored samples from male

participants in the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

was performed. Each of 159 men who suffered a myocardial infarction or

sudden coronary death (major coronary event) within 10 years of

follow-up in PROCAM was matched with 2 controls (N = 318) by age,

smoking status, and date of investigation. Analysis was performed

using conditional logistic regression. Plasma sitosterol

concentrations were elevated in cases compared with controls (4.94 ±

3.44 & #956;mol/L versus 4.27 ± 2.38 & #956;mol/L; P = 0.028). The upper

quartile of sitosterol (>5.25 & #956;mol/L) was associated with a

1.8-fold increase in risk (P < 0.05) compared with the lower three

quartiles. Among men with an absolute coronary risk & #8805;20% in 10

years as calculated using the PROCAM algorithm, high sitosterol

concentrations were associated with an additional 3-fold increase in

the incidence of coronary events (P = 0.032); a similar, significant

> relationship was observed between a high sitosterol/cholesterol

ratio and coronary risk (P = 0.030). Conclusions

> Elevations in sitosterol concentrations and the

sitosterol/cholesterol ratio appear to be associated with an increased

occurrence of major coronary events in men at high global risk of

coronary heart disease. Further evaluations are warranted to confirm

these preliminary findings.

> Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Coronary disease; Risk factors; Sitosterol

>

>

>

>

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-

>

> T. pct35768@y...

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour

[Guest guest]

If plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased

incidence of coronary events, then you have to worry about eating

pumpkin seeds and taking saw palmetto supplements. Phytosterols are

also being added to various foods (e.g., margarines) for the purpose

of lowering cholesterol.

http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/bet_0236.shtml

http://www.pdrhealth.com/drug_info/nmdrugprofiles/nutsupdrugs/phy_0205.shtml

Tony

====

>

> So you were a good boy, sat up straight, and ate your greens?

Doesn't matter, Merck and friends wants you to get tested for your

" sitosterol " concentration, because this " plant cholesterol " can mess

you up.

> They may have something here, as a metabolism that is not

appropriately " gating " sterol compounds may be dysfunctional to a

degree that is going to meet with disaster barring pharmacologic

intervention.

> However, there is another possibility, and that is of " dietary

burden " of sitosterol. If this is contributing to the effect they are

describing, then vegetarians/vegans are endangering themselves.

> Needless to say, these findings are highly preliminary.

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

> Plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased

incidence of coronary events in men: Results of a nested case-control

analysis of the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

> Gerd Assmanna, b, , , Cullena, Erbeyc, Dena R. Rameyd,

Kannenberga, b and Helmut Schultea

>

> aLeibniz-Institut für Arterioskleroseforschung an der Universität

Münster, Domagkstrasse 3, 48149 Münster, Germany

> bInstitut für Klihiscne Chemie and Laboratoriumsmedizin,

Universitätsklinik

> cSchering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Kenilworth, NJ, USA

> dMerck Research Laboratories, Blue Bell, PA, USA

>

> Received 16 December 2004; revised 8 April 2005; accepted 12 April

2005. Available online 28 July 2005.

>

>

>

> SummaryBackground and aim

> Sitosterolemia, a rare genetic disorder characterized by profoundly

elevated plasma sitosterol concentrations, is associated with

premature atherosclerosis in some individuals. This study was

conducted to evaluate if the modest sitosterol elevations seen in the

general population are also associated with the occurrence of coronary

events. Methods and results

> A nested case-control study using stored samples from male

participants in the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

was performed. Each of 159 men who suffered a myocardial infarction or

sudden coronary death (major coronary event) within 10 years of

follow-up in PROCAM was matched with 2 controls (N = 318) by age,

smoking status, and date of investigation. Analysis was performed

using conditional logistic regression. Plasma sitosterol

concentrations were elevated in cases compared with controls (4.94 ±

3.44 & #956;mol/L versus 4.27 ± 2.38 & #956;mol/L; P = 0.028). The upper

quartile of sitosterol (>5.25 & #956;mol/L) was associated with a

1.8-fold increase in risk (P < 0.05) compared with the lower three

quartiles. Among men with an absolute coronary risk & #8805;20% in 10

years as calculated using the PROCAM algorithm, high sitosterol

concentrations were associated with an additional 3-fold increase in

the incidence of coronary events (P = 0.032); a similar, significant

> relationship was observed between a high sitosterol/cholesterol

ratio and coronary risk (P = 0.030). Conclusions

> Elevations in sitosterol concentrations and the

sitosterol/cholesterol ratio appear to be associated with an increased

occurrence of major coronary events in men at high global risk of

coronary heart disease. Further evaluations are warranted to confirm

these preliminary findings.

> Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Coronary disease; Risk factors; Sitosterol

>

>

>

>

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-

>

> T. pct35768@y...

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Am I out to lunch here, or is it these sterols that they are now

putting in those new, just as greasy as before, ' ' ' healthy ' ' '

margarines???

It is gonna take MOUNTAINS of evidence before anyone will be able to

convince me to consume any type of margarine, not matter what it is

they claim to have put in it, nor how healthy they would have us

believe it to be.

Rodney.

--- In , T <pct35768@y...>

wrote:

>

> So you were a good boy, sat up straight, and ate your greens?

Doesn't matter, Merck and friends wants you to get tested for

your " sitosterol " concentration, because this " plant cholesterol " can

mess you up.

> They may have something here, as a metabolism that is not

appropriately " gating " sterol compounds may be dysfunctional to a

degree that is going to meet with disaster barring pharmacologic

intervention.

> However, there is another possibility, and that is of " dietary

burden " of sitosterol. If this is contributing to the effect they

are describing, then vegetarians/vegans are endangering themselves.

> Needless to say, these findings are highly preliminary.

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

> Plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased

incidence of coronary events in men: Results of a nested case-control

analysis of the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

> Gerd Assmanna, b, , , Cullena, Erbeyc, Dena R. Rameyd,

Kannenberga, b and Helmut Schultea

>

> aLeibniz-Institut für Arterioskleroseforschung an der Universität

Münster, Domagkstrasse 3, 48149 Münster, Germany

> bInstitut für Klihiscne Chemie and Laboratoriumsmedizin,

Universitätsklinik

> cSchering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Kenilworth, NJ, USA

> dMerck Research Laboratories, Blue Bell, PA, USA

>

> Received 16 December 2004; revised 8 April 2005; accepted 12

April 2005. Available online 28 July 2005.

>

>

>

> SummaryBackground and aim

> Sitosterolemia, a rare genetic disorder characterized by profoundly

elevated plasma sitosterol concentrations, is associated with

premature atherosclerosis in some individuals. This study was

conducted to evaluate if the modest sitosterol elevations seen in the

general population are also associated with the occurrence of

coronary events. Methods and results

> A nested case-control study using stored samples from male

participants in the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

was performed. Each of 159 men who suffered a myocardial infarction

or sudden coronary death (major coronary event) within 10 years of

follow-up in PROCAM was matched with 2 controls (N = 318) by age,

smoking status, and date of investigation. Analysis was performed

using conditional logistic regression. Plasma sitosterol

concentrations were elevated in cases compared with controls (4.94 ±

3.44 & #956;mol/L versus 4.27 ± 2.38 & #956;mol/L; P = 0.028). The

upper quartile of sitosterol (>5.25 & #956;mol/L) was associated with

a 1.8-fold increase in risk (P < 0.05) compared with the lower three

quartiles. Among men with an absolute coronary risk & #8805;20% in 10

years as calculated using the PROCAM algorithm, high sitosterol

concentrations were associated with an additional 3-fold increase in

the incidence of coronary events (P = 0.032); a similar, significant

> relationship was observed between a high sitosterol/cholesterol

ratio and coronary risk (P = 0.030). Conclusions

> Elevations in sitosterol concentrations and the

sitosterol/cholesterol ratio appear to be associated with an

increased occurrence of major coronary events in men at high global

risk of coronary heart disease. Further evaluations are warranted to

confirm these preliminary findings.

> Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Coronary disease; Risk factors;

Sitosterol

>

>

>

>

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-

>

> T. pct35768@y...

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Am I out to lunch here, or is it these sterols that they are now

putting in those new, just as greasy as before, ' ' ' healthy ' ' '

margarines???

It is gonna take MOUNTAINS of evidence before anyone will be able to

convince me to consume any type of margarine, not matter what it is

they claim to have put in it, nor how healthy they would have us

believe it to be.

Rodney.

--- In , T <pct35768@y...>

wrote:

>

> So you were a good boy, sat up straight, and ate your greens?

Doesn't matter, Merck and friends wants you to get tested for

your " sitosterol " concentration, because this " plant cholesterol " can

mess you up.

> They may have something here, as a metabolism that is not

appropriately " gating " sterol compounds may be dysfunctional to a

degree that is going to meet with disaster barring pharmacologic

intervention.

> However, there is another possibility, and that is of " dietary

burden " of sitosterol. If this is contributing to the effect they

are describing, then vegetarians/vegans are endangering themselves.

> Needless to say, these findings are highly preliminary.

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

> Plasma sitosterol elevations are associated with an increased

incidence of coronary events in men: Results of a nested case-control

analysis of the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

> Gerd Assmanna, b, , , Cullena, Erbeyc, Dena R. Rameyd,

Kannenberga, b and Helmut Schultea

>

> aLeibniz-Institut für Arterioskleroseforschung an der Universität

Münster, Domagkstrasse 3, 48149 Münster, Germany

> bInstitut für Klihiscne Chemie and Laboratoriumsmedizin,

Universitätsklinik

> cSchering-Plough Pharmaceuticals, Kenilworth, NJ, USA

> dMerck Research Laboratories, Blue Bell, PA, USA

>

> Received 16 December 2004; revised 8 April 2005; accepted 12

April 2005. Available online 28 July 2005.

>

>

>

> SummaryBackground and aim

> Sitosterolemia, a rare genetic disorder characterized by profoundly

elevated plasma sitosterol concentrations, is associated with

premature atherosclerosis in some individuals. This study was

conducted to evaluate if the modest sitosterol elevations seen in the

general population are also associated with the occurrence of

coronary events. Methods and results

> A nested case-control study using stored samples from male

participants in the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) study

was performed. Each of 159 men who suffered a myocardial infarction

or sudden coronary death (major coronary event) within 10 years of

follow-up in PROCAM was matched with 2 controls (N = 318) by age,

smoking status, and date of investigation. Analysis was performed

using conditional logistic regression. Plasma sitosterol

concentrations were elevated in cases compared with controls (4.94 ±

3.44 & #956;mol/L versus 4.27 ± 2.38 & #956;mol/L; P = 0.028). The

upper quartile of sitosterol (>5.25 & #956;mol/L) was associated with

a 1.8-fold increase in risk (P < 0.05) compared with the lower three

quartiles. Among men with an absolute coronary risk & #8805;20% in 10

years as calculated using the PROCAM algorithm, high sitosterol

concentrations were associated with an additional 3-fold increase in

the incidence of coronary events (P = 0.032); a similar, significant

> relationship was observed between a high sitosterol/cholesterol

ratio and coronary risk (P = 0.030). Conclusions

> Elevations in sitosterol concentrations and the

sitosterol/cholesterol ratio appear to be associated with an

increased occurrence of major coronary events in men at high global

risk of coronary heart disease. Further evaluations are warranted to

confirm these preliminary findings.

> Keywords: Atherosclerosis; Coronary disease; Risk factors;

Sitosterol

>

>

>

>

> =-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-

>

> T. pct35768@y...

>

>

>

>

> ---------------------------------

>

> Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour

[Guest guest]

I think that for people at "midlife", say around 30s, 40s, and 50s, the lower the cholesterol, probably the better.

However, when the "anabolic drive" of youth fades away, I think that cholesterol no longer exerts its deleterious influence on longevity.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==--=-

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Feb;53(2):219-26.

Relationship between plasma lipids and all-cause mortality in nondemented elderly.Schupf N, Costa R, Luchsinger J, Tang MX, Lee JH, Mayeux R.G. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA.OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between plasma lipids and risk of death from all causes in nondemented elderly. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Community-based sample of Medicare recipients, aged 65 years and older, residing in northern Manhattan. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand two hundred seventy-seven nondemented elderly, aged 65 to 98; 672 (29.5%) white/non-Hispanic, 699 (30.7%) black/non-Hispanic, 876 (38.5%) Hispanic, and 30 (1.3%) other. MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric measures: fasting plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-HDL-C, body mass index, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. clinical measures:

neuropsychological, neurological, medical, and functional assessments; medical history of diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and treatment with lipid-lowering drugs. Vital status measure: National Death Index date of death. Survival methods were used to examine the relationship between plasma lipids and subsequent mortality in younger and older nondemented elderly, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Nondemented elderly with levels of total cholesterol, non-HDL-C, and LDL-C in the lowest quartile were approximately twice as likely to die as those in the highest quartile (rate ratio (RR)=1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.3-2.4). These results did not vary when analyses were adjusted for body mass index, APOE genotype, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diagnosis of cancer, current smoking status, or demographic variables. The association between lipid levels and risk of death was attenuated when subjects with less than 1 year of

follow-up were excluded (RR=1.4, 95% CI=1.0-2.1). The relationship between total cholesterol, non-HDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides and risk of death did not differ for older (>or=75) and younger participants (>75), whereas the relationship between LDL-C and risk of death was stronger in younger than older participants (RR=2.4, 95% CI=1.2-4.9 vs RR=1.6, 95% CI=1.02-2.6, respectively). Overall, women had higher mean lipid levels than men and lower mortality risk, but the risk of death was comparable for men and women with comparable low lipid levels. CONCLUSION: Low cholesterol level is a robust predictor of mortality in the nondemented elderly and may be a surrogate of frailty or subclinical disease. More research is needed to understand these associations.PMID: 15673344 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-

T. pct35768@...

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I think that for people at "midlife", say around 30s, 40s, and 50s, the lower the cholesterol, probably the better.

However, when the "anabolic drive" of youth fades away, I think that cholesterol no longer exerts its deleterious influence on longevity.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==--=-

J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005 Feb;53(2):219-26.

Relationship between plasma lipids and all-cause mortality in nondemented elderly.Schupf N, Costa R, Luchsinger J, Tang MX, Lee JH, Mayeux R.G. H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York 10032, USA.OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between plasma lipids and risk of death from all causes in nondemented elderly. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Community-based sample of Medicare recipients, aged 65 years and older, residing in northern Manhattan. PARTICIPANTS: Two thousand two hundred seventy-seven nondemented elderly, aged 65 to 98; 672 (29.5%) white/non-Hispanic, 699 (30.7%) black/non-Hispanic, 876 (38.5%) Hispanic, and 30 (1.3%) other. MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric measures: fasting plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-HDL-C, body mass index, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype. clinical measures:

neuropsychological, neurological, medical, and functional assessments; medical history of diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and treatment with lipid-lowering drugs. Vital status measure: National Death Index date of death. Survival methods were used to examine the relationship between plasma lipids and subsequent mortality in younger and older nondemented elderly, adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Nondemented elderly with levels of total cholesterol, non-HDL-C, and LDL-C in the lowest quartile were approximately twice as likely to die as those in the highest quartile (rate ratio (RR)=1.8, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.3-2.4). These results did not vary when analyses were adjusted for body mass index, APOE genotype, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diagnosis of cancer, current smoking status, or demographic variables. The association between lipid levels and risk of death was attenuated when subjects with less than 1 year of

follow-up were excluded (RR=1.4, 95% CI=1.0-2.1). The relationship between total cholesterol, non-HDL-C, HDL-C, and triglycerides and risk of death did not differ for older (>or=75) and younger participants (>75), whereas the relationship between LDL-C and risk of death was stronger in younger than older participants (RR=2.4, 95% CI=1.2-4.9 vs RR=1.6, 95% CI=1.02-2.6, respectively). Overall, women had higher mean lipid levels than men and lower mortality risk, but the risk of death was comparable for men and women with comparable low lipid levels. CONCLUSION: Low cholesterol level is a robust predictor of mortality in the nondemented elderly and may be a surrogate of frailty or subclinical disease. More research is needed to understand these associations.PMID: 15673344 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-

T. pct35768@...

__________________________________________________