Desirable level of serum cholesterol

Serum cholesterol level is not only an indicator of nutritional state, and liver functions, but also a parameter of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Based upon the pathognomonic implication of serum cholesterol level, desirable value should be determined by considering the necessity for the individual growth, the maintainance of body activities and the least development of atherosclerosis. Epidemiological studies indicate that serum cholesterol level ever 220 mg/dl is frequently accompanied by the atherosclerotic complications such as coronary heart disease and cerebrovascular accident in Japan. Postmortem examination of Honolulu Heart Study on Japanese descendants also revealed that raised lesions of coronary artery are significantly frequent in the subjects with over 220 mg/dl. These findings suggest that the upper limit of serum cholesterol could be 220 mg/dl at the present conditions.