In quotes as it's really not as controversial as some may believe. While CVD is a multi factorial process that's more complex than simple cholesterol levels, denying cholesterol is a major contributor is poor science. While it's still somewhat of a moving target as to what all the aspects, sub fractions, of cholesterol play in the etiology of CVD, ignore anyone who claims cholesterol levels have no effects on CVD and it's all conspiracy of statin producing companies, etc. This is an excellent review of the topic:

A recent article in The Guardian raised an interesting question. Is cholesterol denialism a valid form of skepticism or pseudoscience? Is there valid debate surrounding the benefit of cholesterol medication or is the evidence and the scientific consensus clearly on one side of the issue?

It is true that we argue about cholesterol far more than the other cardiovascular risk factors. It is hard today to find anyone who doubts the harmful effects of smoking, diabetes, hypertension or the lack of exercise. So why is there a cholesterol controversy but unanimity on other risk factors?

First off, we should acknowledge that there in fact has been a controversy on almost all these issues at some point. Ronald A. Fisher was famously resistant to the idea that cigarette smoking was harmful. Also, up until fairly recently, high blood pressure was seen as necessary to push blood through the narrowed arteries of people with atherosclerosis. Some of the more amusing quotes regarding high blood pressure are worth quoting verbatim:

Get it out of your heads, if possible, that high pressure is…the feature to treat.

– William Osler, 1912 address to Glasgow Southern Medical Society

Hypertension may be an important compensatory mechanism which should not be tampered with, even were it certain that we could control it.

– Dr. Paul Dudley White, 1937

The greatest danger to a man with high blood pressure lies in its discovery, because then some fool is certain to try and reduce it.

– JH Hay, British Medical Journal 1931

The fact is that controversies are not new. We simply tend to forget that they happened.

Cont:

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/the...l-controversy/