Finding the Sweet Spot: How Total Cholesterol Influences Mortality Risk Across Age & Sex

Drawing on a massive cohort of 12.8 million Korean adults (baseline 2001–2004, followed through 2013), researchers uncovered a striking U-shaped correlation between total cholesterol (TC) levels and all-cause mortality. In the low TC bracket (50–199 mg/dL), each 39 mg/dL (~1 mmol/L) increase was linked to a robust **23 % decrease** in mortality, whereas within the higher TC bracket (200–449 mg/dL), the same increment corresponded to a **7 % increase** in death risk. Optimal survival aligned with TC ranges of **210–249 mg/dL**—with younger men (18–34 years) favoring **180–219 mg/dL**, and younger women 18–34 and 35–44 years favoring **160–199 mg/dL** and **180–219 mg/dL**, respectively, underscoring nuanced sex- and age-specific thresholds.

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