NetGalley Review: The Great Cholesterol Myth, Revised and Expanded by Jonny Bowden; Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C, C.N.S.

 Content Warnings: Discussions of weight loss, dieting, BMI and body measurements*

This book is 100% recommended reading for anyone (less those for whom the CN lists triggers), especially women, who are under pressure from their health care providers to go on a statin.  

The authors break down what we know about cholesterol, how we currently test for it (vs. how we should be testing for it) and how the body uses cholesterol.  This is a lot of sometimes complex information presented in a very readable way.  Through a mix of individual patient anecdotes and reviews of studies, the authors tease out the reality of cholesterol as it pertains to our health and wellness.  This is a wonderful “laypersons” reference for a complicated subject.

That said, as a total nerd with training in epidemiology, this book is also amazing for anyone with a health or science background.  The authors treat epidemiology as it is meant to be used, creating a beautiful ode to meta-analysis and a breakdown of the impacts of cholesterol across many major health concerns.  (I will admit, the sick burn of the NHANES Food Frequency Questionnaire was a personal delight.)

The book wraps up with some broad guidelines for ways to improve your health without focusing on arbitrary changes in numbers from an outdated test.  While the suggestions do sort of gloss over the fact that many people are not able to tend to their health for systemic reasons (poverty, disability, healthcare access, etc) the suggestions are not outlandish or fad-diet based.  These items are straightforward and reasonably implementable for many people.

A genuinely enjoyable read that covers an otherwise convoluted topic. 

*Since many people facing pressure from cholesterol-panic are also facing medical fatphobia, these issues may be triggering.  It is important for readers to know in advance that the authors include a former personal trainer with a focus on weight loss.  While the fatphobia isn’t pervasive in the text, the authors have not yet turned their otherwise excellent skills of meta-analysis and critical thinking to “obesity studies.”  For further reading, start with Paul Campos’ The Obesity Myth.