Question 8: Despite the Framingham Heart Study's reputation as a well - conducted and rigor - ous study , it has some major limitations . Give one specific reason why it can't be used to say that high cholesterol causes heart disease . Write your answer here , replacing this text . Similar studies from the 1950s found positive associations between diets high in saturated fat , high cholesterol , and incidence of heart disease . In 1962 , the U.S. Surgeon General said :" " Although there is evidence that diet and dietary habits may be implicated in the development of coro - Mary heart disease and may be significant in it's prevention of control , at present our only research evidence is associative and not conclusive ."