Content
Having first explained the cholesterol hypothesis, the documentary will then address several key issues:
- The number of people with so called "high" cholesterol has been reducing for a long time, but this has not reduced the number of people who develop heart disease.
- The number of people prescribed cholesterol medications has increased exponentially. Authorities claim that these cholesterol medications save 10,000 lives every year; however, this is a predicted estimate. Does real evidence exist to support this claim?
- The UK has one of the highest rates of heart attacks in the world, yet the average cholesterol level in the UK is below the European average.
- According to data published by the World Health Organisation, cholesterol levels in different countries do not correlate with the rate of heart attacks.
- Most people around the world who have a heart attack tend to have the same average cholesterol level as the general population. This has been found to be the case for the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and America.
- A number of studies have shown a correlation between increased life expectancy and higher cholesterol levels.
- Is the cholesterol measurement itself reliable? It can be significantly affected by a number of factors, in particular, stress levels.
- People with heart disease tend to have lower levels of so called "bad‟ cholesterol than people without heart disease.
- The threshold for having "high‟ cholesterol has been progressively reduced, massively increasing the number of people eligible for cholesterol-lowering medications. Is this threshold based on good science or potential profit?
- Are cholesterol medications as beneficial as we think?
- Do the procedures used in clinical trials allow for the adverse effects of medications to be underestimated and the potential benefits exaggerated?