ASSOCIATION NOTES
Book R e v i e w s
SMITH, R. L., The Cholesterol Conspiracy. tioned above, the author also looks at the
1991. Warren H. Green, Inc., St. Louis, MO dangers in reducing blood cholesterol,
63132. 338 pp., softcover, $27.75. drugs used to lower blood cholesterol
Eighteen years ago the author pub- (including fish oils, aspirin, and alcohol),
lished another book with E. R. Pinckney measurement of blood cholesterol and the
entitled The Cholesterol Controversy. At that illogics of the diet-coronary heart disease
time the role of cholesterol and dietary fat promoters. The book lists 2,548 references.
as contributors to the onset of A considerable appendix that provides
atherosclerotic heart disease was widely some data related to the coronary heart
debated. From its title, the new book disease links is also included in the book
suggests that during recent years the for the reader's examination. Of particular
evidence to support a causative role for interest to Poultry Science readers is Chap-
dietary factors in this disease have been ter 9, and the corresponding chapter in the
exaggerated and misinterpreted. The pur- appendix, which discuss dietary
pose of the book is to present the scientific cholesterol experiments. The author con-
facts to both the public and medical cludes that dietary cholesterol is not a
practitioners and to translate many hun- significant and practical factor in elevating
dreds of medical articles into a relatively blood cholesterol. Also of interest is the
simple, interesting, and readable book interpretation placed on various industry
without a great loss in scientific credibil- organizations and their ties to the research
ity. The author seeks to examine the community in Chapter 17. Specifically, the
evidence for links between coronary heart
author deals with the interactions of the
disease and animal fat-cholesterol con-
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
sumption, blood cholesterol levels,
and the American Heart Association with
population-diet studies, and control of
the former National Commission on Egg
blood cholesterol by diet, and between
blood cholesterol control and reduced Nutrition and the current Egg Nutrition
coronary heart disease rates and increased Center among others.
life expectancy. Although many in the medical commu-
Many questions are raised about the nity may regard this book as an inap-
interpretation of the results of many propriate summary of the medical
human studies with the conclusion that research involved, the book does bring
most of the links between coronary heart into serious question many of the conclu-
disease and other factors are not sup- sions on the relationships between diet,
ported by the available data or show only cholesterol, and heart disease.
weak associations between the variables
involved. After examining the links men- —Edward C. Naber
