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In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. It is unclear whether associations between total cholesterol TC levels and all-cause mortality and the optimal TC ranges for lowest mortality vary by sex and age. During follow-up, , individuals died. U-curve associations were found. TC had U-curve associations with mortality in each age-sex group. Reduction of total cholesterol TC has been an integral part of public health campaigns, such as Healthy People in the US and Under 5 in Norway 1 , 2 , 3 , as well as cardiovascular disease CVD risk prediction models.
This goal has primarily been supported by the success of statin trials showing that statin therapy reduced mortality from ischemic heart disease IHD 4 , 5.
Although disease-specific morbidity and mortality, such as IHD mortality, have their analytical merits, all-cause mortality is arguably the most important endpoint for patients or the general population when assessing risk factors and the effectiveness of a treatment or a public health intervention for life-threatening diseases 7.
The target TC levels for public health interventions in the general population should be determined after careful consideration of the levels associated with the lowest mortality in the general population.
