cholesterol myth or fact

As a researcher I am always questioning results. What I want to know is the cholesterol issue a real artifact. I read that heart disease was almost non existant before the 1900 and about 1940-1950 it began to increase. I have read so many contradicting research articles on choleterol I am not sure who to believe. Even the lables on cholesterol reducing drugs are not that convincing.  Can diet, exercise and  healthier living be the real drug to reduce cholesterol instead of a pill that may have adverse side effects. l had a heart attack last April, at the age of 46. They started me on zocor which I think really messed me up. I quit taking it and decided to try diet and exercise to remedy the problem. Even though my cholesterol was low to begin with. LDL 86 HDL 52 I still had a heart attack from a blocked LAD. My triglicerides (triglycerides) have been around 86 to 150. I recently had thromis of the original bar metal stent placed on my LAD and was replaced with a drug eluding stent. turn out hat I also have thrombis of the splenic vein whiich is almost non exsistant. The angio doc suggested that it may have been from a blood disorder ie the clotting factor or from trauma such as from the heart attack.  my question is what can I do about reducing plaque build up on the hearts ateries with out meds. I am taking fish oil 1200mg twice a day, vitmin c 500mg twice a day, 150mg coQ-10 once, vitamina b complex 500mg once a day, asprin 325 once, plavix 75 mg once, i am trying to eat a high fiber diet with lots of fruits and vegtables, I only drink water now, no coffee, tea or sodas, I excersise 30 min everyday except when they are doing an angiogram on me. I would like to know the truth about cholesterol. I think the pharmacudical companies have made this a drug issue and not a lifestyle issue. can you enlighten me.

[Darcy Green Conaway, MD]

It is absolutely true that cholesterol related to heart disease; in fact the most likely reason that people didn't die of it long ago was simply that we didn't know they died of arrhythmic deaths or huge heart attacks. There is a tremendous amount of research that specifically shows it is very particular to the LDL cholesterol-- in fact, if you look at populations with LDL's below about 50-60, they don't die from heart disease (aborigines, for example). Also, we are not born with LDL's of 130-- it's about 40 - 50 when we are born. The biggest things you can do to prevent atherosclerosis: no smoking, body mass index that is between 20-24 (if you are obese, lose weight), and keep LDL low.