Atherosclerosis News and Research

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Atherosclerosis is the progressive buildup of plaque - the fatty deposits and other cells - in the inner walls of the arteries. The condition is a consequence of elevated cholesterol and for many it's a silent disease, with no visible signs or symptoms. The disease can begin in early adulthood and continues to progress for the rest of a person's life. Despite the serious nature of atherosclerosis, many people do not understand how it develops and progresses.

High blood pressure combined with elevated LDL cholesterol more than triples risk of heart attack

High blood pressure and high LDL-cholesterol add up to more than just double trouble for heart health, a Penn State College of Medicine study reports.

30 Aug 2004

Less invasive procedure to repair aortic aneurysm could reduce death by two-thirds

Early results of a UK study published online by THE LANCET suggest that a surgical procedure to repair aortic aneurysm that is less invasive than conventional open surgery could reduce death within a month of surgery by around two-thirds.

25 Aug 2004

Computed tomography may improve screening of latent atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is the progressive narrowing and hardening of the arteries over time, known to occur to some degree with aging; but other risk factors (such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes and family history for atherosclerotic disease) that accelerate this process have been identified.

18 Aug 2004

Not all good cholesterol helps to protect arteries from becoming clogged with fatty deposits

HDL becomes dysfunctional, Dr. Hazen said, when myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme present in white blood cells, inhibits the HDL's ability to keep LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, from building up in artery walls.

17 Aug 2004

Red wine is much better for you than gin

Red wine contains many complex compounds including polyphenols, which are absent from gin. They found that drinking red wine had a much greater effect in lowering levels in the bloodstream of so-called “anti-inflammatory” substances that are risk factors in the development of heart disease and stroke.

12 Aug 2004

Structural microvascular changes, visible in the eye, may precede development of severe hypertension

The eyes may be the window to the soul – and future hypertension, according to research reported in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

11 Aug 2004

Effects of oxidative stress on atherosclerosis

Heart disease and stroke are the first and third leading causes of death among men and women in the United States and account for 40 percent of all mortalities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

9 Aug 2004

Novel treatment of patients with high cholesterol focus of national meeting

Implications of recent lipid-lowering clinical trials and the specific changes to the NCEP guidelines will be the focus of discussion by Neil J. Stone, M.D., professor of clinical medicine of the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.

6 Aug 2004

To prevent heart attack, stroke, amputation, and death, National “PAD Coalition” is formed

Vascular Disease Foundation spearheads new national, multidisciplinary organization to educate patients, clinicians on peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

6 Aug 2004

Approval of cholesterol-lowering therapy Lipitor for the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Pfizer has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its cholesterol-lowering therapy Lipitor® (atorvastatin calcium) for the prevention of cardiovascular disease by reducing heart attack risk in people with normal to mildly elevated cholesterol levels who have other cardiovascular risk factors.

5 Aug 2004

Atherosclerosis at menopause slowed by diet and exercise

Thickening of artery walls accelerates as women enter menopause, but these signs of the progression of atherosclerosis can be slowed by a lower-fat diet and increased physical activity, according to a new study in the Aug. 4, 2004, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

5 Aug 2004

Antioxidant pills do nothing to prevent cardiovascular disease

Research published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows that antioxidant pills have no clear benefit in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

2 Aug 2004

Connection between air pollution and cardiovascular disease

Researchers at the University of Washington will direct the largest study of its kind to explore the connection between air pollution and the No. 1 cause of death in the United States: cardiovascular disease.

2 Aug 2004

Miniature spectroscopic instruments and software to look at changes that occur within the cells and tissue of the brain

When molecules in cells are stimulated by light, they respond by becoming excited and re-emitting light of varying colors (fluorescence) that can be captured and measured by highly sensitive optical equipment.

2 Aug 2004

Warning for counterfeit drugs simvastatin and carisoprodol recently imported from Mexico

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a public warning regarding counterfeit versions of the drugs simvastatin and carisoprodol that have recently been imported from Mexico to the U.S.

31 Jul 2004

Influence of alcohol consumption on risk of developing hypertension and type 2 diabetes

Researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center will seek to determine the influence of alcohol consumption on risk of developing hypertension and type 2 diabetes using data collected during a five-year study of a prediabetic condition.

29 Jul 2004

Cardiologist studying new method of screening for heart disease

A multi-center study led by Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center cardiologist David M. Herrington, M.D., M.H.S., suggests that measuring the stiffness of arteries to screen for early atherosclerosis may be another way to identify people at risk for heart disease or stroke.

23 Jul 2004

Physician task force sets out knowledge criteria for clinicians who want to consider themselves experts in this growing field

New set of competency criteria for physicians who wish to practice vascular medicine and catheter-based peripheral vascular interventions.

17 Jul 2004

Most Americans ignorant to high cholesterol facts

Results from a recent nationwide survey showed that most respondents did not know that high cholesterol comes from two sources, even though the respondents reported having high cholesterol.

15 Jul 2004

Geneticists have closed in on the genetic basis for risk factors of metabolic diseases

Oxford geneticists have closed in on the genetic basis for risk factors of metabolic diseases such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes.

30 Jun 2004

Atherosclerosis News and Research

Further Reading

High blood pressure combined with elevated LDL cholesterol more than triples risk of heart attack

Less invasive procedure to repair aortic aneurysm could reduce death by two-thirds

Computed tomography may improve screening of latent atherosclerosis

Not all good cholesterol helps to protect arteries from becoming clogged with fatty deposits

Red wine is much better for you than gin

Structural microvascular changes, visible in the eye, may precede development of severe hypertension

Effects of oxidative stress on atherosclerosis

Novel treatment of patients with high cholesterol focus of national meeting

To prevent heart attack, stroke, amputation, and death, National “PAD Coalition” is formed

Approval of cholesterol-lowering therapy Lipitor for the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Atherosclerosis at menopause slowed by diet and exercise

Antioxidant pills do nothing to prevent cardiovascular disease

Connection between air pollution and cardiovascular disease

Miniature spectroscopic instruments and software to look at changes that occur within the cells and tissue of the brain

Warning for counterfeit drugs simvastatin and carisoprodol recently imported from Mexico

Influence of alcohol consumption on risk of developing hypertension and type 2 diabetes

Cardiologist studying new method of screening for heart disease

Physician task force sets out knowledge criteria for clinicians who want to consider themselves experts in this growing field

Most Americans ignorant to high cholesterol facts

Geneticists have closed in on the genetic basis for risk factors of metabolic diseases

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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