Study links low cholesterol with cancer in diabetes sufferers
26 Aug 2008

Researchers have linked low and high levels of LDL cholesterol with cancer in patients with type 2 diabetes.

A study of 6,107 diabetics was carried out by scientists from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences and the Hong Kong Institute of Diabetes and Obesity.

They found a V-shaped risk relationship between LDL cholesterol and cancer in those who were not receiving statin therapy.

People who were on the hyperlipidaemic drug treatment were excluded from the trial as the treatment obscured the association.

Dr Juliana Chan and the co-authors of the study, commented: "LDL cholesterol levels below 2.80 mmol/L and levels of at least 3.90 mmol/L were both associated with markedly elevated risk of cancer among patients who did not use statins."

In terms of clinical implications, the researchers suggest that the use of the levels as indicators of risk could help clinicians to assess their patients more thoroughly and prevent premature deaths in patients who are at higher risk, web resource Science Daily reports.

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