"Cholesterol and its derivatives are important constituents of cell membranes, and precursors of other steroid compounds. But it has been associated with increased risks of heart and blood vessel diseases. The warnings against cholesterol were so intense that they created a new medical diagnosis: ‘You have high cholesterol!’ It now turns out that it was indeed one great big hoax. In due course, Big Pharma extracted some $2 trillion from consumers in the name of ‘cholesterol-lowering treatment.'"