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Low Cholesterol Symptoms

There are many well-known reasons for keeping cholesterol levels low. Lower cholesterol levels lead to a decreased risk of heart attack and coronary artery disease. However, it is also possible for cholesterol levels to be too low, which poses its own unique set of problems.

  1. Symptom: Cancer

    • Low cholesterol levels have been associated with an increased risk for certain kinds of cancer. A 1990 NIH conference on health presented findings which showed that excessively low LDL cholesterol levels were linked to an increased risk of lung and hematopoietic cancer.

    Symptom: Anxiety

    • Low levels of cholesterol can alter brain function and have been linked to increased rates of anxiety in both women and men.

    Symptom: Depression

    • Excessively low cholesterol levels have been associated with increased risk of depression according to a 1999 study conducted by Duke University Researcher Edward Suarez.

    Symptom: Premature Birth

    • According to The Mayo Clinic For Medical Research, women with abnormally low cholesterol levels are at greater risk for giving birth prematurely. Babies born to these women also tend to weigh less than those born to women with normal cholesterol levels.

    Testing

    • Just like high cholesterol, you cannot tell if you have low cholesterol by looking in the mirror or by how you feel. Low cholesterol may present certain complications, but a physician will need to diagnose low cholesterol as being the definitive cause with a blood test.

    Appropriate Levels

    • There is no established lower limit for cholesterol levels. However, it is generally recommended that in healthy persons cholesterol levels be between 200mg/dL and 100mg/dL.

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