Dr. Daniel Levy, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Framingham Heart Study and senior author of the study explained, “We hypothesized that there might be a direct effect of lipids on the function of heart muscle.
"For example, if lipids infiltrate the heart, like they do the liver, this might be one reason that people with diabetes are predisposed to heart failure.”
Analyzing the association between lipid levels and heart failure, the researchers evaluated the data from 6,860 participants in the Framingham Heart Study.
The average age of the participants was 44 years. All the subjects were free of coronary heart disease at the beginning of the study.
Study highlights
The subjects were followed for an average of 26 years. During the study period, 680 participants (49 percent women) developed heart failure.
Analysis of the data revealed that people with high levels of bad cholesterol or low levels of good cholesterol were at a higher risk of developing heart failure over time.
The researchers found that 12.8 percent of the subjects had low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL),-the good cholesterol and only 6.1 percent had desirable levels of HDL.
The levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides were high in 13.8 percent of the patients, whereas the desirable level of LDL was found in only 7.9 percent of them.
After adjustment of factors like age, sex, body weight, smoking, blood pressure and diabetes, the investigators noted that subjects with high levels of LDL had a 29 percent elevated risk of suffering heart failure, while those with high levels of HDL had a 40 percent reduced risk.
The researchers further noted that even after factoring heart attacks the results indicated a statistically significant risk of heart failure related to high cholesterol levels.
"This study goes a step further in implicating cholesterol levels (both HDL and non-HDL) in heart failure and suggests that cholesterol-altering therapy may have long-term benefits in preventing heart failure above and beyond its effects on preventing [heart attack],” stated Dr. Daniel Levy.
The study is published in the Nov. 23 online edition of the journal Circulation.
Heart failure
Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is a condition in which the heart is unable to pump sufficient amount of blood, hence the organs become deprived of oxygen.
The common symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, swelling in the ankles and legs, heart palpitations, and cognitive difficulties.
The most significant risk factors for heart failure include high blood pressure, coronary artery
disease, heart attack, diabetes, and irregular heartbeat.
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