The symptom of what? Bad genes? Because plenty of people have genetically high cholesterol that doesn’t do anything for you besides cause you to have a high risk of cardiovascular disease later in life from years of elevated cholesterol.
> Somehow that trait was evolutionary helpful (groupwise, not necessarily for a single being)?
There’s plenty of people that have degenerative diseases with no perceivable benefit that are “evolutionary” favored due to genetics just working out that way. What does Huntington’s disease provide? Its a dominant gene, doesn’t typically effect people until they’re 30 or 40 past their prime child years.
> In general just lowering _any_ cholesterol without understanding _all_ the cons and pros won't cut it.
Pros: it significantly decreases long term of risk of cardiovascular disease later in life
Cons: the medications have to be taken daily forever, I guess.
This is just an argument from nature. If you have very high cholesterol, there’s no good reason to not lower it to sub-problematic levels.
Overall populations don't have flawed genes... Before jumping on statins and such it's important fixing underlying cause and even then try to get actual data my having imagine to get soft plaque.. not cacb score which is only relevant in later stages
High cholesterol could be from high glucose/insulin damaging arteries
Or could also be from weight loss
Simplest fixes are
- eat low carb
- don't eat all day intermittent fasting
- walk after eating to lower spike
- eat olives which protects lining of veins and arteries
- avoid seed oils
- pick antiinflammatory foods and supplements
- take l-arginine and similar supplements, sunlight, green veggies, no mouth wash, exercise to increase nitrogen oxide production... Breath through nose as well
- exercise to increase good cholesterol
- sleep well and keep cortisol low (stress)
Cholesterol is needed for hormones, brain, everything... I believe statin are linked to Alzheimer