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Low Cholesterol Diet
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The most important dietary modifications in a low cholesterol diet are to markedly reduce the intake of trans- and saturated fats.  Reduction in actual cholesterol helps a little, also, but not as much as the bad dietary fats.  Reducing caloric intake and weight loss helps also.

A review of the medical literature was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2005 which showed the effects of various diets and cholesterol medicines on the risk of mortality.  The results are as follows:
  • Diet - no change (RR 0.97, CI 0.91-1.04)
  • Fibrates - no change (RR 1.0, CI 0.91 - 1.11)
  • Resins - no change (RR 0.84, CI 0.66-1.08)
  • Niacin - no change (RR 0.96, CI 0.86 - 1.08)
  • Statins - reduced mortality (RR 0.87, CI 0.81 - 0.94)
  • Omega-3 fatty acids - reduced mortality (RR 0.77, CI 0.63 - 0.94)

Statins and omega-3 fatty acids showed the most favorable results, with reduced risk of overall and cardiac mortality.  Any potential reduction in cardiac mortality from the fibrates was offset by increased risk of death from non-cardiovascular causes.

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