HYDERABAD: One thing that does not seem to have changed over the last four decades, from 1980 till now, is the level of bad cholesterol in the blood of Indians.
A study published in the reputed scientific journal Nature titled, ‘Repositioning of the global epicentre of non-optimal cholesterol’, reports that while the levels of bad cholesterol in the blood of people from high-income western countries, particularly those in North-western Europe, North America and Australia, has decreased in the period 1980-2018. However, in the same period, a sharp rise has been observed in the bad cholesterol levels in the blood of people from Asian countries.
The study was taken up by hundreds of researchers from across the world, which used data from 102.6 million individuals and examined cholesterol levels in 200 countries, across a 39-year time period, from 1980 to 2018. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood.
The body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but too much can lead to a build-up in the blood vessels. Cholesterol comes in different types.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) ‘good’ cholesterol, which should be 1mmol/L or above, is thought to have a protective effect against heart attack and stroke, by mopping up excess ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Researchers from the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) also contributed in the study. Dr Avula Laxmaiah, Scientist G & Head, Division of Public Health Nutrition at the National Institute of Nutrition said that the non- HDL cholesterol among Indian men ranked 128th in 1980 and remained the same in 2018. However, in case of women, the rank increased marginally from 139th to 140th at the global level.