A nonlinear association of total cholesterol with all-cause and cause-specific mortality

Guo dong He, Xiao cong Liu, Lin Liu, Yu ling Yu, Chao lei Chen, Jia yi Huang, Kenneth Lo, Yu qing Huang, Ying qing Feng

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

14 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: The link between total cholesterol (TC) and all-cause and specific mortality has not been elucidated. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the effect of TC levels on all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality. Methods: All data analyzed were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2014. The relationship between levels of TC and mortality was determined through Cox proportional hazard regression analysis coupled with multivariable adjustments. Two-piecewise linear regression models and Cox models with penalized splines were applied to explore nonlinear and irregular shape relationships. Kaplan–Meier survival curve and subgroup analyses were conducted. Results: The sample studied comprised 14,662 men and 16,025 women, categorized as 25,429 adults aged 18–65 and 5,258 adults over 65 years old. A total of 2,570 deaths were recorded. All-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality showed U-curve associations after adjusting for confounding variables in the restricted cubic spline analysis. Hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause and cancer mortality were particularly negatively related to TC levels in the lower range < 200 mg/dL, especially in the range < 120 mg/dL (HR 1.97; 95% CI 1.38, 2.83, HR 2.39; 95% CI 1.21, 4.71, respectively). However, the HRs of cardiovascular disease mortality in the range < 120 mg/dL were the lowest (HR 0.60; 95% CI 0.15, 2.42). In the upper range, a TC range of ≥ 280 mg/dL was correlated with mortality as a result of CVD and cancer (HR 1.31; 95% CI 0.87, 1.97 and HR 1.22; 95% CI 0.82, 1.79). The lowest cumulative survival rate of all-cause mortality was recorded in the lowest TC-level group, while the lowest cumulative survival rate of CVD mortality was recorded in the highest TC-level group. Conclusions: A nonlinear association of TC level with all-cause, cancer, and CVD mortality in the American population was observed, suggesting that too low or too high serum total cholesterol levels might correlate with adverse outcomes.

Original languageEnglish
Article number25
JournalNutrition and Metabolism
Volume18
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Mar 2021

Keywords

  • All-cause mortality
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Total cholesterol

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Medicine (miscellaneous)
  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

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