Consensus Development Conference Statement: Blood Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease

Abstract

Medical Research Council, Academy of Finland convened a Consensus Development Conference on Blood Cholesterol and Coronary Heart Disease on April 24-26, 1989. After hearing a series of expert presentations a consensus panel of cardiologists, lipoprotein experts, experts in preventive medicine, health administrators, nutritionists, social scientists, representatives of food industry and agriculture, and lay representatives considered the available evidence and agreed on answers to the following questions: 1) Why are blood cholesterol levels so high in Finland? 2) How could blood cholesterol levels be reduced in the population and in different population groups? 3) How should individuals with an exceptionally high blood cholesterol levels be identified? 4) When and how should cholesterol levels be reduced among individuals? 5) Are there any adverse effects from lowering blood cholesterol levels or in associated measures? 6) What are the problems that require further investigation? This paper contains the consensus statement of the panel.