Although stomach cancer is rare, a family history of stomach cancer, history of peptic ulcer disease, or an H. pylori infection are risk factors for getting stomach cancer, a study suggests that low cholesterol may play a role in stomach cancer, too. About 2,000 participants in Japan were followed over a 14-year period. They examined individuals with a history of H. pylori infection, a family history of gastric cancer, a history of peptic ulcer disease, and smoking –- all of which place you at a higher risk of getting stomach cancer. After adjusting for these, the researchers found that the lower one’s cholesterol was, the more he was at risk for stomach cancer. In fact, at the conclusion of the study, it was found that 97 people, or 5% of the participants of the study, had stomach cancer. The incidence of stomach cancer in Japan is about 10 times higher than in other parts of the world.
Should I Worry?
While this is one study, other reports suggest that while low cholesterol levels may be beneficial for the heart, other organs, like the brain, may need a little more cholesterol to function. The balance between cholesterol good health and cholesterol appears to be delicate. However, there isn’t much else known about it.The Japanese population, which was the population examined in this study, has a significantly higher risk of stomach cancer than the United States. Because of this high risk, the results of this study might not apply to other populations in the world, like the United States, where the risk of stomach cancer is relatively low. Additionally, the researchers of this paper didn’t account for dietary factors or cholesterol-lowering medication for this study.
More studies are needed to establish whether or not having your cholesterol too low can cause health problems. So, until then, continue to keep your cholesterol low, following the advice of your healthcare provider. While the relationship between low cholesterol and stomach cancer has not been fully established, the connection between high cholesterol and heart disease has been known for a long time.
Source:
Asano K, Kubo M, Yonemoto K, et al. Impact of serum total cholesterol on the incidence of gastric cancer in a population-based prospective study: the Hisayama study. Int J Cancer. 122:909-914.
