Having high cholesterol is not better for your health

A video on Instagram makes claims that having high cholesterol means that you will live longer and never have a heart attack. 

The video also claims that statins, which are used to manage cholesterol levels, increase cases of new diabetes and that within a week of taking statins, there will be damage to the muscles. 

However, these claims are not entirely accurate and require some context. There are different types of cholesterol, some of which are known to contribute to cardiovascular disease. Additionally, whilst statins can cause muscle damage, this is not a common side effect.

Misleading health information has the potential to cause harm if people use it to make decisions about their own health.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is the umbrella term used to describe fatty chemicals that occur naturally in the body. It can be found in all cells within the body and has several functions which include helping the body to make bile, some hormones and vitamin D which helps to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

Cholesterol is often described as being ‘good’ or ‘bad’ based on its effects on the body. ‘Good cholesterol’, also called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), refers to the type that is more easily carried to the liver to be broken down which keeps the overall levels low.

‘Bad cholesterol’, also called non-HDL, is the type associated with cardiovascular disease because it can contribute to arteries becoming blocked up. This can in turn lead to heart disease or strokes. Non-HDL includes low density lipoprotein (LDL) which is sometimes used interchangeably to describe bad cholesterol, although there are other types.

Other important fats associated with heart disease are known as triglycerides, which are different to cholesterol. Blood tests can measure the levels of these different fats.

Can high cholesterol be good?

There are different reasons why cholesterol levels might be high. The NHS says that the main reasons include a higher than recommended alcohol intake, consuming fatty foods, smoking and low physical activity. There can be other reasons too, for example, there is a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolaemia which can result in very high levels of cholesterol whether or not you live a healthy lifestyle. 

The man in the video doesn’t specify which type of cholesterol he’s referring to, or whether the claim is being applied to cholesterol generally. It is important to note that high cholesterol typically means high levels of ‘bad cholesterol’ rather than good.

As we have already mentioned, high LDL levels are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Higher HDL levels have been noted to correlate with a decrease in risk but research that has attempted to increase HDL levels has not shown a benefit.

One study from 2015 concluded that there was no relationship between high LDL levels and mortality in people over the age of 60. The paper reviewed some existing studies where causes of mortality were recorded and claimed that higher LDL levels were associated with people living longer. The authors went on to suggest that there should be a review of existing guidelines to lower cholesterol in this age group.

However, this study has been criticised for being “unbalanced” and “liable to bias” in its approach by several experts who pointed out that there is well established evidence for a link between high LDL levels and cardiovascular disease and that the study did not provide any evidence to support a need for reviewing the guidance. 

The video also inaccurately claims that having high cholesterol means that you will never get cancer. Excess weight is a known risk factor for the development of cancer and there is a relationship between high LDL levels and obesity. Some studies have shown that higher LDL cholesterol levels play a role in the progression of cancer. Others have found a mixed picture on the relationship between cholesterol and cancer.

Can statins cause muscle damage and diabetes?

We have previously written in detail about statins and their use in reducing cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular disease.

As with all medications, statins may cause side effects in some people. These include gastrointestinal effects such as nausea or change in bowel habit and also muscle pain. Muscle damage is rare.

Recent research has shown that statins are not the cause of the majority of muscle pain experienced by people taking this treatment. Researchers also found that muscle pain caused by statins was most likely to occur within the first year of starting treatment and was more likely to be mild.

Some studies have shown that statins can increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and that this is higher for people with higher blood sugar levels prior to taking them. Statins are often prescribed in diabetes care as diabetes itself is a known risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease and thus, weighing up the potential risks versus the benefits of treatments is an important consideration.