Cholesterol

Too much cholesterol in the blood, or high blood cholesterol, can be serious. People with high blood cholesterol have a greater chance of getting heart disease. High blood cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high.


Vitamin C lowers heart disease biomarker
A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, adds to the evidence that vitamin C supplements can lower concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), a central biomarker of inflammation that has been shown to be a powerful predictor of heart disease and diabetes.

Single PILL may prevent heart disease
A new clinical trial looking at a single pill to prevent cardiovascular disease is starting in Auckland, New Zealand.

Ischemic stroke increases with higher nonfasting triglyceride level
Elevated nonfasting triglyceride levels, previously associated with an increased risk for heart attack, also appear to be associated with an increased risk for ischemic stroke.

Ultrasound helps predict heart attacks in low risk patients
By adding the results of an imaging technique to the traditional risk factors for coronary heart disease, doctors at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found they were able to improve prediction of heart attacks in people previously considered low risk.

New risk factor for cardiovascular disease
A team of international researchers - including scientists from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University - have discovered that having high levels of particular protein puts patients at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Decade of change in general practice in Australia
It's not only the patients in GP surgeries who are getting older, according to two new reports released today by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian General Practice Statistics and Classification Centre, an AIHW collaborating unit located at the University of Sydney.

Statins do not increase risk of Lou Gehrig's Disease
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration's analysis provides new evidence that the use of statins does not increase incidence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." The analysis was reported on Monday, Sept. 29, 2008 in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.

Poor weight loss in some after gastric bypass surgery
Individuals with diabetes and those whose stomach pouches are larger appear less likely to successfully lose weight after gastric bypass surgery, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Some obese individuals appear healthy without heart risk
Some obese individuals do not appear to have an increased risk for heart disease, while some normal-weight individuals experience a cluster of heart risks, according to two reports in the August 11/25 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Lower cholesterol early in life
With heart disease maintaining top billing as the leading cause of death in the United States, a team of University of California, San Diego School of Medicine physician-researchers is proposing that aggressive intervention to lower cholesterol levels as early as childhood is the best approach available today to reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease.

People with sleep apnea have a high mortality risk
People with severe sleep apnea have a much higher mortality risk than people without sleep apnea, and this risk increases when sleep apnea is untreated.

California Governor Schwarzenegger signed Trans Fat Bill
California Governor signed AB 97 by Asm. Mendoza, which will phase out the use of trans fats in all CA restaurants beginning in 2010. Scientific evidence demonstrates a strong association between the consumption of artificial trans fat and the development of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Keeping a food diary doubles weight loss
Keeping a food diary can double a person's weight loss according to a study from Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research. The findings, from one of the largest and longest running weight loss maintenance trials ever conducted, will be published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

California to phase-out artificial trans fat from restaurants
The passage in the California State Senate of a measure to phase out the use of artificial trans fat in restaurants puts the state on track to being the first in the nation to adopt this life-saving measure.

Cholesterol and blood pressure control may reverse atherosclerosis
Aggressively lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels below current targets in adults with type 2 diabetes may help to prevent – and possibly reverse – hardening of the arteries, according to new research supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. Hardening of the arteries, also known as atherosclerosis, is the number one cause of heart disease and can lead to heart attack, stroke, and death.

Obesity in midlife increases dementia risk
People in their 40s with larger stomachs have a higher risk for dementia when they reach their 70s, according to a study published in the March 26, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Lowering cholesterol reduces heart attack and stroke risk
New research by the Nutrition and Lifestyle team at The George Institute has indicated that even small reductions in cholesterol can substantially reduce heart attacks and strokes. This occurs across a broad range of individuals, irrespective of age, sex or initial cholesterol level.

Weight loss counseling helps maintain weight loss
People who shed weight and want to keep it off might benefit from monthly personal contact interventions, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism.

High GI diets lead to common lifestyle diseases
In the world's first study of its kind, University of Sydney researchers have found conclusive evidence that diets with a high GI (Glycemic Index) leads to a higher risk of common lifestyle diseases.

Psychological distress linked to increased risk of stroke
Psychological distress, but not depression, may increase the risk of stroke, according to a study published in the March_4, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Previous studies have shown that stroke often leads to depression, but the evidence was mixed as to whether depression could lead to stroke.

New York unveils electronic health record technology
New York's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas R. Frieden unveiled the City's next-generation electronic health records (EHRs), already in use at more than 200 primary-care providers across the city that care for more than 200,000 New Yorkers.

New chemical tool kit reveals insights into drug toxicity
Why do nearly 1 million people taking cholesterol-lowering statins often experience muscle cramps? Why is it that in the rare case when a diabetic takes medication for intestinal worms, his glucose levels improve? Is there any scientific basis for the purported health effects of green tea?

Memory loss, less common in older Americans
It appears that memory loss and thinking problems are becoming less common among older Americans. A new study shows a downward trend in the rate of "cognitive impairment" - the umbrella term for everything from significant memory loss to dementia and Alzheimer's disease - among people aged 70 and older.

Cholesterol drug statins may reduce heart's atrial fibrillation
When we're young, a racing heart often means love is in the air. If you're a "baby boomer," it might mean you've just joined the 2.2 million Americans who have atrial fibrillation (AF), an irregularity in the heart's rhythm that grows more common as we age and markedly increases the risk for stroke.

Cholesterol lowering drug may fight staph infection
An international team of researchers supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has blocked staph infections in mice using a drug previously tested in clinical trials as a cholesterol-lowering agent. The novel approach, described in the February 14 online edition of Science, could offer a new direction for therapies against a bacterium that's becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics.

Part of ACCORD study halted due to safety concerns
Canadian Diabetes Association has issued its position statement regarding safety concerns of diabetes treatment in ACCORD study - "It is important that people with diabetes not make any changes to their treatments or adjust their blood glucose targets without speaking to their healthcare team".

Most with high blood pressure do not follow DASH diet
A relatively small proportion of individuals with hypertension (high blood pressure) eat diets that align with government guidelines for controlling the disease, according to a report in the February 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Healthy lifestyle for long life
A healthy lifestyle during the early elderly years-including weight management, exercising regularly and not smoking-may be associated with a greater probability of living to age 90 in men, as well as good health and physical function, according to a report in the February 11 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Gain control of your heart health
Dr. Charlotte Bai, a noted cardiologist with special expertise in cardiac imaging, has a special message for people with risk factors for heart disease: What you don't know can hurt you. "February is National Heart Month. And now is a great time to gain control of your heart health," said Bai, assistant professor, cardiology, Department of Medicine, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine.

Abbott to educate Chicago-area women about heart disease
As a leader in cardiovascular treatment and the exclusive Chicagoland "hometown" partner for the national "Go Red for Women" program, Abbott is partnering with the American Heart Association (AHA) to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death for women in America.

Ongoing review of cholesterol drug Vytorin
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is informing the public that the agency will conduct a review of Merck and Schering Plough's recent trial once the FDA receives the final study results.

Burgers, fries, diet soda lead to metabolic syndrome
Otherwise-healthy adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day - the equivalent of two burger patties - increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 25 percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, according to research published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Heart and stroke death rates steadily decline in US
In an appropriate prelude to American Heart Month, which is just ahead in February, new mortality data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that, since 1999, coronary heart disease and stroke age-adjusted death rates are down by 25.8 percent and 24.4 percent, respectively.

Vytorin does not appear to be unsafe - American Heart Association
Merck/Schering-Plough Pharmaceuticals released results from the ENHANCE trial, which found that the ezetimibe/simvastatin (Zetia/Zocor) combination drug known as Vytorin was no more effective in reducing artery plaque build-up than simvastatin (Zocor) alone. There were no statistically significant differences in the safety of the drugs, which are used to lower cholesterol.

Statins, cholesterol lowering drugs may not prevent Alzheimer's Disease
Taking statins, which are cholesterol-lowering drugs, offers no protection against Alzheimer's disease, revealed by US researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Calcium supplements may increase heart attacks in postmenopausal women
Calcium is an important component of bone, and a sufficient intake of calcium is needed for bone homoeostasis. Calcium supplements can reduce the risk of fractures in elderly women, but high calcium intakes or calcium supplements may increase the risk of heart attack in healthy postmenopausal women.

Combined with exercise, cholesterol increase muscles
Combined with exercise, cholesterol appears to play a role in contributing to muscle gain. Surprise - cholesterol may actually pose benefits, study shows.

More teen women battling heart disease
University of Cincinnati UC experts urge women to watch for warning signs associated with heart disease, a condition that is becoming more common, especially among women.

GIP hormone to prevent obesity
A new study finds that a chemical found in the body is capable of promoting weight loss, improving insulin resistance and reversing diabetes in an animal model. The hormone is gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) receptor blockade.

Restless legs syndrome doubles risk of stroke and heart disease
People with restless legs syndrome (RLS) are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart disease compared to people without RLS, and the risk is greatest in those with the most frequent and severe symptoms.

Gene changes may lead to hardening of arteries, atherosclerosis
Researchers revealed that changes in gene may lead to hardening of the arteries and expands lesions in the aorta and promotes coronary atherosclerosis. The study was done by researchers from Yale School of Medicine and published in Cell Metabolism.

Kids eat more fruits, vegetables
A new UCLA study has found that elementary schools can significantly increase the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption among low-income students by providing a lunch salad bar.

White matter disease affects treatment in Alzheimer's disease patients
Researchers at Sunnybrook have shown that there may be a difference in response to treatment in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients with and without white matter disease in selective areas of the brain.

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