084 - Cholesterol Part 1 / Cognitive Decline / Vaccines and Asthma

The Body of Evidence

What does the body of evidence say on the topic of cholesterol? Plus: we look at the claim that a multivitamin can preserve your cognitive functions as you age, and we cover that study that allegedly shows aluminum in vaccines causes asthma!

Block 1:

(3:04) Cholesterol: what cholesterol is, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, how fat is digested, HDL cholesterol

Block 2:

(10:44) Cholesterol: triglycerides, how LDL is calculated, do you need to fast before a blood test, attempts at increasing HDL, how to lower LDL

Block 3:

(22:38) Cocoa extract or multivitamin for preserving cognition (and a digression on cocoa vs cacao)

Block 4:

(39:13) Aluminum in vaccines and a reported link to asthma

* Theme music: “Fall of the Ocean Queen“ by Joseph Hackl.

* Assistant researcher: Nicholas Koziris

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References:

1) Systematic review and meta-analysis on reducing LDL cholesterol: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2556125

2) Safety of lowering LDL cholesterol in patients starting with very low levels: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2695047

3) HPS2-THRIVE trial on niacin + laropiprant: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1300955

4) AIM-HIGH trial on niacin: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa1107579

5) CETP inhibitor torcetrapib increases mortality: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmoa0706628

6) Meta-analysis of the data on boosting HDL levels: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.g4379

7) The COSMOS-Mind paper: https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12767

8) Our episode on chocolate: https://bodyofevidence.ca/013-chocolate-and-influenza

9) The original COSMOS papers: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac055 & https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac056

10) The USPS statement on vitamin supplements: https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/vitamin-supplementation-to-prevent-cvd-and-cancer-preventive-medication

11) Cochrane reviews on vitamins and cognition: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011906.pub2/full & https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD011905.pub2/full

12) Helen Branswell’s STAT News coverage of the aluminum-asthma paper: https://www.statnews.com/2022/09/27/possible-link-aluminum-childhood-vaccines-asthma-risk-caveats/

13) The aluminum-asthma paper: https://els-jbs-prod-cdn.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/pb/assets/raw/Health%20Advance/journals/acap/Aluminium_Exposure_Article-1664288052690.pdf

14) Our episode on asthma: https://bodyofevidence.ca/080-asthma-screen-time-exercise-motivation

Time machine:

1) Our episode on fat: https://bodyofevidence.ca/015-fat-and-denialism

2) Our episode on dementia: https://bodyofevidence.ca/079-dementia-long-covid-no-vax-tax