Westend6 / Getty ImagesPizza is a source of pleasure, but also harmful fatsWestend6 / Getty Images
The risk of developing atherosclerosis may begin much earlier in life than previously thought, highlighting the need to maintain low cholesterol levels even at a young age, according to a study conducted at the University of Cambridge, UK. Scientists fed mice a high-fat diet throughout their lives and monitored their risk of atherosclerosis. “We found that an intermittent high-fat diet starting while the mice were still young—one week on, a few weeks off, another week on, and so on—was the worst option in terms of atherosclerosis risk,” said Ziad Mallat, the group’s leader, in a statement. They then examined data from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Participants with the highest blood cholesterol levels as children tended to have the greatest buildup of plaque (atheromas), even if their levels later returned to normal. The results suggest that early intermittent exposure to cholesterol may be a strong determinant of atherosclerosis, highlighting the importance of managing cholesterol levels from childhood. They also reinforce the idea that people should continue taking medications to control cholesterol levels, such as statins, even if their cholesterol levels return to normal, since stopping treatment could increase the risk of atherosclerosis (University of Cambridge and Nature, September 4).
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