FIGHT BACK!  BY DAVID HOROWITZ

Old Age and Cholesterol
        
        Doctors have been telling us for years to watch our cholesterol levels. If  the levels go too 
high, we may have to modify our diets, get more exercise and, in  extreme cases, take prescribed 
medication. For most of us, that's still sound  advice. High cholesterol levels have been shown to 
contribute to coronary heart  disease.
        But what's good for younger and middle-aged people may not be  advisable for people over 
70. A new study from the Yale University School of  Public Health seems to show that elevated 
serum cholesterol is not a significant  risk factor for the elderly, and that treating the problem with 
drugs may actually do  more harm than good.
        Most cholesterol research has been done on middle-aged men and  women, and the results 
were simply extended to apply to older people as well.  The Yale study is the first one of its kind 
that focused specifically on the elderly.  Researchers tracked 997 men and women between the 
ages of 71 and 104 and  found that for that age group, there was no statistical link between high 
 cholesterol and heart disease. The risk of developing heart trouble was the same  for those with 
low cholesterol as those with elevated cholesterol.
        Although preliminary, this new information may have a profound effect on  geriatric health 
care, especially when it comes to prescription medication.  Physicians need to be extremely 
careful in prescribing drugs for people over 70.  Treating several conditions at the same time may 
lead to dangerous drug  interactions. So unless there is a good, solid evidence that such 
medication is  necessary, the general rule is that less is better.
        This is also an economic issue. Treating high cholesterol with drugs can  be expensive, 
whether it's the patient who's paying the bill or Medicare.  Reducing unneeded medication could 
save the health-care system millions of  dollars every year.
        Even screening elderly patients for high cholesterol may cause more  problems than it 
solves. If a test comes back high, as it often does with people  that age, it naturally creates a 
certain amount of anxiety for the patient and his or  her family. It may be difficult for people to 
understand why their doctors don't want  to treat them for high cholesterol.
        The Yale study does not mean that the elderly should simply kick back, eat  whatever they 
like and get fat. Some diet restrictions may still be necessary to  deal with other problems, like 
hypertension, digestive disorders and obesity.  Health experts also believe that people of all ages 
should exercise regularly  within their own physical limitations. The benefits are well known and 
long  proven.
        The next step is to validate the Yale team's data with more studies  involving larger test 
groups. But one thing it has already shown is that we need to  focus more attention on the 
special health-care needs of seniors. Treatments that  were appropriate at 40 may not be 
appropriate at 70. And as our population  grows older, that kind of information will become 
increasingly important in  reforming our national health-care system.
        If you have any questions or comments, please write to David Horowitz in  the Consumer 
Forum+ (go FIGHTBACK). COPYRIGHT 1994 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.