In this investigation of cholesterol levels & serious suicide attempts among psychiatric inpatients, the lifetime history of attempted suicide of 650 patients (307 men, 343 women, aged 18-59 years), was assessed by semistructured interview. Male patients with low cholesterol levels were twice as likely to have made a medically serious suicide attempt than men with levels above the 25th percentile. There was no association between cholesterol level & attempted suicide in women. (26 Refs.)