LSAT 108 | Section 2 | Logical Reasoning: Q4

LR Question 4 Explanation

QUESTION TEXT: High cholesterol levels are highly correlated …

QUESTION TYPE: Paradox

PARADOX: High cholesterol is usually strongly linked to heart disease. But everyone in Limone has had high cholesterol for years without developing heart disease.

ANALYSIS: We need to explain why Limone residents don’t have heart disease despite high cholesterol. The answer should give us a reason why this expected outcome doesn’t happen in this specific group.

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1. Too broad. Longevity might be connected to lower heart disease, but we’re not told Limone residents come from long-lived families. So we don’t know whether this actually applies to the residents.
2. Low stress and pollution might help avoid making existing heart disease worse, but the residents haven’t developed it in the first place. This doesn’t explain why high cholesterol isn’t causing it.
3. This says very low blood sugar cancels out cholesterol’s cardiovascular effects. But it also says Limone residents have normal blood sugar, not very low.
4. CORRECT. This tells us a differentiating factor. Since vascular blockage causes heart disease, this blood protein explains why the Limone residents don’t get it.
5. This talks about some parts of Italy and olive oil generally. But it doesn’t say Limone residents use olive oil, and it doesn’t explain why their already high cholesterol isn’t causing cardiovascular disease.