Prof. J.P.N. Mishra
Given all the evidence that high-fat, high-cholesterol diets contribute to elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood, and that high blood cholesterol is a definite risk factor for heart disease, it might seem natural to assume that lowering blood cholesterol, by diet or other means, would reduce that risk. To a scientist, however, this is nothing more than a hypothesis awaiting hard proof. Such proof has been time consuming and expensive to gather. Not all subgroups of the population have been studied. Put into context, however, the evidence now points toward the conclusion that lowering cholesterol does have an impact on the process of plaque buildup in the blood vessels.
I may be now said that lowering the average cholesterol level through moderate shifts in eating patterns may be an effective way to save thousands of lives over the next generation. At the very least, it is clear that people who already have coronary heart disease, or are at increased risk for developing it because of a poor family history, diabetes, high blood pressure, or a history of smoking, can benefit from lowering their blood cholesterol through diet and, if necessary, the use of cholesterol-controlling drugs (Isaacsohn, 2006).
