Article Synopsis |  | The prediction of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke by total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in older persons remains controversial, with some previous studies showing conflicting results.
The study carried out over 129 months with 2,805 men and women over 60 years, examined cholesterol and other risk factors which may be differentially predictive of CHD and ischaemic stroke in older people when they are in different age groups.
The findings confirmed that total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol are significant predictors of CHD and ischaemic stroke in older persons. These results however, are essentially confined to age groups of 60-69 years, with little relationship to cardiovascular disease seen in those 70 years and older. Other risk factors such as HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), diabetes, hypertension and smoking predict CHD, although only HDL and hypertension similarly predict ischaemic stroke. |