Low Cholesterol & Disease

by Jason Knapfel

Overview

Low cholesterol may have some negative health implications.

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While the phrase "low cholesterol" is usually associated with good health, there are times when the opposite is true. Doctors are finding people who have low levels of cholesterol to be at an increased risk of various serious health risks.
Low HDL Cholesterol

HDL cholesterol is often referred to as the "good" kind, because experts believe that it protects people from heart disease. Hence, low levels are associated with higher risks of heart ailments.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by a cluster of risk factors: mild hypertension, elevated glucose levels, high triglycerides and low levels of HDL cholesterol. Sufferers are at an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Cancer

According to Mayo Clinic cardiologist Thomas Behrenbeck, there have been studies linking low levels of LDL cholesterol and cancer.
Parkinson's Disease

In recent years, scientists have found a link between low levels of LDL cholesterol and Parkinson's disease, a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system.
Anxiety and Depression

In 1999, researchers from Duke University Medical Center found that low cholesterol levels were linked to depression and anxiety. One in three women with low cholesterol levels scored high on anxiety indicators.