When people ate less animal fat, their bad cholesterol went down and their belly fat became less inflamed — and heart attacks dropped fast.
Scientific Claim
The combination of reduced non-HDL cholesterol and decreased proinflammatory macrophages in adipose tissue is associated with a rapid decline in coronary heart disease mortality in a population following a dietary shift.
Original Statement
“The combination of non-HDL cholesterol drop and a decreased proportion of proinflammatory macrophages due to replacement of alimentary fat decreased CHD mortality immediately.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
overstated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study observes associations over time but cannot prove the combination caused the mortality decline. 'Decreased' implies causation unsupported by observational design.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Rapid Drop in Coronary Heart Disease Mortality in Czech Male Population—What Was Actually behind It?
When Czech people ate less fatty meat and dairy, their bad cholesterol went down and their body’s inflammatory cells in fat tissue calmed down—and as a result, far fewer men died of heart disease.