Photo: Shutterstock A comprehensive global health study reveals for the first time the geographic map of LDL cholesterol, known as bad cholesterol.
The article draws on global burden of disease data published in the prestigious medical journal JAMA and written by an international group of researchers. The data presents a dramatic picture, according to which high cholesterol levels caused 3.3 million deaths worldwide in just one year, a figure that accounts for about six percent of all global deaths.
While Eastern European and Central Asian countries lead the map in dark red with the highest average cholesterol levels in the world, it is interesting to examine where three key Western countries with completely different cultures and health systems are located: Italy, the United States, and Israel.
Israel is emerging as an extraordinary success story on the global map. According to long-term trend data, Israel has recorded one of the world's most significant declines in the burden of cholesterol-related heart disease in recent decades.
Italy also maintains a stable and relatively healthy position at the center of the world map. Its light colors reflect much lower average cholesterol levels than its northern and eastern European neighbors.
The main reason for the positive situation in Italy is the strength of the traditional Mediterranean diet, based on monounsaturated fats and especially extra virgin olive oil, high consumption of legumes and whole grains, and reduced consumption of red and processed meat. These dietary habits maintain vascular health and reduce the need for aggressive drug intervention at a young age.
On the other hand, the United States presents the American paradox and is in the upper-middle range of the map. The United States is doing much better than one would expect given its high obesity rates and the widespread processed Western diet.
This is because American medicine relies heavily on massive preventive drug therapy. Millions of adults in the United States take statins regularly, and these drugs manage to artificially cut cholesterol levels in the population and protect blood vessels despite poor dietary habits.
In general, high cholesterol is considered a leading risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. The general population is advised to maintain a bad cholesterol level below one hundred milligrams per deciliter, with the three most common treatment and balancing options including targeted dietary changes to reduce saturated fat, regular aerobic exercise that improves the lipid profile, and, if necessary, the combination of personalized drug therapy such as statins that reduce cholesterol production in the liver.
Medical clarification: The information in this article is general and intended for enrichment only, based on global statistical data. It should not be considered a medical recommendation or a substitute for consultation, periodic blood tests, or personalized treatment by a family doctor or cardiologist. Readers are advised to check their personal test values against the recommendations of their treating physician.