Key finding
LDL-C ≥160 mg/dL associated with higher all-cause mortality (RR 1.34, 95% CI 1.00–1.80) and CVD death (RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.26–2.54) vs LDL-C 70–129 mg/dL, in a meta-analysis of 1,232,694 adults
Evidence & causal status
Moderate
Causal support strong for CVD via Mendelian randomization and RCTs; all-cause mortality signal weaker/borderline
Caveats & limitations
Reliability / bias notes: All-cause mortality CI crosses 1.0; relationship appears non-linear/U-shaped, complicated by reverse causation in low-LDL groups (illness-driven cholesterol decline)
This describes a population-level association from published research. It is not a prediction about any one individual, and association is not the same as causation unless stated otherwise above.