On Thu, 28 Nov 2002 21:55:58 +1100, Richard Archer <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>At 6:13 -0500 28/11/02, Amadeus Schmidt wrote:
>
>>But a high blood cholesterol *is* a *strong marker* for heart and artery
>>diseases.
>
>Are you sure about that? How then do you explain the French Paradox?

>Death rate from CHD ICD 414 classification
>France 128/100,000/year
>UK 487/100,000/year

At almost the same levels of the markers you cited..

There must be something else accounting for the high death rate in GB
(the total population count isn't that different).

My first guess would be the EFA ratios, w-3 supply or w-6 excess

France: much Huile Olive , also walnut oil, less fried food
GB: no native olives, much fried food (very probable with high w-6)

For a whole nation average of 60 or so million people the high cholesterol
of 0.5 percent CHD deaths wouldn't show up in the statistic.

I think it's still an assured study result that blood cholesterol
indicates CHD risk. I'm not shure at which places I found this,
I could dig it up.
But I think for Todd it would be an easy question to answer.
Maybe Todd would be willing to jump in with his knowledge:
Is blood cholesterol (not dietary cholesterol) an indicator
for risk of CHD disease.

regards

Amadeus S.