CHICAGO, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Lowering bad, or LDL, cholesterol is one of the top strategies for preventing heart disease, but taking it too low may raise the risk of cancer, a study cautioned on Tuesday.

The red flag comes from a large-scale retrospective analysis of 23 studies involving statin drugs such as Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor which lower cholesterol. More than 41,000 patients participated in the trials.