On Sun, 13 Sep 1998, Aaron D. Wieland wrote:

> Thank you for the information, Todd.  Perhaps it would be reasonable to
> hypothesize that high cholesterol indicates a high degree of stress, and
> that low cholesterol indicates either (1) low stress, or (2) the suppression
> or exhaustion of the body's mechanisms for coping with stress.

That's an interesting theory.  I have had to recant my statement
to S.B. Feldman that stress is only modestly linked with
cholesterol.  There are some older studies that show a stronger,
and even immediate, connection.  Students' cholesterol can be as
much as 50% higher the night before an important exam, for
example.   Pilots' cholesterol rises just before landing.  If
acute stress of this nature can have this effect, then it is
conceivable that chronic stress could burn out the mechanism.

For actual paleolithic people, the "fight-or-flight" response
would almost always eventuate in actual fighting or fleeing, and
not white knuckles and swallowed rage.

Todd Moody
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