Figure 1(a): IHD mortality (33 744 deaths) versus usual total cholesterol. Age-specific associations

The hazard ratios are plotted on a floating absolute scale of risk (so each log hazard ratio has an appropriate variance assigned to it.

NOTES: 1 mmol/L lower total cholesterol was associated with about a half , a third and a sixth lower IHD mortality in both sexes at ages 40-49, 50-69 & 70-89, respectively, throughout the main range of cholesterol in most developed countries, with no apparent threshold.

Although the proportional differences in risk decrease with age, the absolute effects of cholesterol on annual IHD mortality rates are much greater at older than at younger ages. For example, the absolute difference in the annual risk of IHD death for a 1 mmol/L difference in total cholesterol was about 10 times greater at 80-89 than at 40-49 years of age.