Cholesterol News and Research

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Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver, and found in the blood and in all cells of the body. Cholesterol is important for good health and is needed for making cell walls, tissues, hormones, vitamin D, and bile acid.

UT Southwestern receives $8 million NIH grant to study influence of brain and liver on inflammation

An $8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health will enable UT Southwestern Medical Center to investigate how fat tissue "talks" to the brain and the liver to promote inflammation-related disorders such as diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

15 Sep 2010

FDA approves Krystexxa drug to treat gout

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Krystexxa (pegloticase) to treat the painful condition known as gout in adults who do not respond to or who cannot tolerate conventional therapy.

15 Sep 2010

Gilead Sciences announces Quad regimen Phase II clinical trial results for HIV infection treatment

Gilead Sciences, Inc. today announced Phase II clinical trial results showing that its investigational fixed-dose, single-tablet "Quad" regimen of elvitegravir, cobicistat and Truvada (emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate) for the treatment of HIV infection maintained a high rate of virologic suppression through 48 weeks, exhibiting antiretroviral activity comparable to that of Atripla(efavirenz 600 mg/emtricitabine 200 mg/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate 300 mg).

14 Sep 2010

Health risk assessments

At various points in our lives, we're curious about our health risks, wondering about our susceptibility for everything from high cholesterol to a deadly inherited disease. We might want to learn more about our risks when we reach a certain age or experience a bout of bad health; when we hear about a friend or co-worker coping with a dreaded illness; or read the latest headlines about disease research.

13 Sep 2010

Resverlogix announces key changes to Phase 2 ASSURE trial

Resverlogix Corp. announces that the Company's Phase 2 clinical trial, called ASSURE (ApoA-1 Synthesis Stimulation in Acute Coronary Syndrome patients), has made important modifications to the design of the trial which have the potential to demonstrate a more powerful endpoint for the planning of future clinical trials for RVX-208.

10 Sep 2010

HealthFitness wellness program helps Eastman employees reduce health risks, lower medical claims

The HealthFitness wellness program offered to Eastman Chemical Company employees helped reduce Eastman employees' health risks and lower their medical claims, resulting in a 3.2 return on investment for every dollar spent on core wellness program components.

10 Sep 2010

Study finds misclassification of risk groups for heart diseases

The widespread use of a simplified clinical tool to estimate future coronary risk could lead to the classification of millions of Americans into different risk groups than when using the original, "gold-standard" tool. Millions of patients may have been misclassified into higher-risk groups and therefore potentially over-treated, while others may have ended up in lower-risk groups and therefore potentially under-treated for heart disease. The study-, led by William Gordon from Weill Cornell Medical College in the US and colleagues, is published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine-, published by Springer.

10 Sep 2010

Method to predict risk of major coronary event may underestimate risk for millions of Americans: Study

A method that is widely used to predict the risk of a major coronary event may over- or underestimate risk for millions of Americans, according to a study directed by a researcher at the San Francisco VA Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco.

10 Sep 2010

NIH launches two research studies to examine ways to curtail childhood obesity epidemic

The National Institutes of Health is launching two major research efforts, totaling $72.5 million, to examine ways to curtail the nation's childhood obesity epidemic. One will study long-term approaches to prevent or treat childhood obesity, and the other will examine community efforts to reduce childhood obesity rates.

10 Sep 2010

VAP Cholesterol Test can evaluate Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, known as PCOS, is a silent and often mysterious disease that plays havoc with a woman's body and increases the risk of serious illness. There is no single test for diagnosing the illness, but a detailed cholesterol profile called the VAP Cholesterol Test, along with diet, exercise and the right medication, is changing how doctors approach PCOS and is dramatically altering patients' lives for the better.

10 Sep 2010

APhA to highlight increasing role of pharmacists in improving health, well-being

In honor of Cholesterol Education Month, The American Pharmacists Association would like to highlight the increasing role of the pharmacist in communities nationwide. In many areas, pharmacists are able to offer cholesterol and blood pressure screenings, as well as other detection and prevention services to help a patient manage their healthcare and get the most out the medications they may be taking.

9 Sep 2010

Aflibercept Phase 3 VELOUR clinical trial for mCRC to continue to completion

Sanofi-aventis and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the Phase 3 VELOUR clinical trial of aflibercept (VEGF Trap) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) will continue to completion as planned, with no modifications due to efficacy or safety concerns. This decision is based on the recommendation of an Independent Data Monitoring Committee (IDMC) following a planned interim analysis.

9 Sep 2010

NIH awards second $8 million grant for research into health effects of botanical estrogens

An ongoing research initiative into the health effects of botanical estrogens will get an $8 million boost from the National Institutes of Health.

9 Sep 2010

AHRQ releases free evidence-based guides for eight health conditions

HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality today released a series of free evidence-based guides designed to help Spanish speakers understand and compare the risks, benefits and side effects of treatments for eight health conditions.

7 Sep 2010

GI Dynamics announces data on EndoBarrier therapy for type 2 diabetes, obesity

GI Dynamics, a leader in non-surgical, endoscopic treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity, today announced data with the EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner at 12 months showing significant weight loss and cardiovascular and metabolic improvements in obese patients.

7 Sep 2010

Risk of late onset TRAS in living unrelated donor kidney recipients

Patients who have received a new kidney are significantly more likely to develop transplant renal artery stenosis (TRAS) if they are obese or over 50, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Renal Care.

7 Sep 2010

An overview on low-carbohydrate diets

Headlines make news, but don't read too much into current headlines about a recent study titled "Low-Carbohydrate Diets and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality," published in the September 7, 2010, issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. Although the headlines may say the study suggests that long-term adherence to a low-carb diet based heavily on animal protein may reduce lifespan, Dr. Funga, who was the lead author of the study, says that her research "is not representative of popular low-carb eating plans

7 Sep 2010

Chemicals in non-stick cookware elevates cholesterol level among children: Report

Children and teens with higher blood levels of chemicals used in the production of non-stick cookware and waterproof fabrics appear more likely to have elevated total and LDL cholesterol levels, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

7 Sep 2010

Plaque-causing bacteria increases risk of heart attack

Plaque-causing bacteria can jailbreak from the mouth into the bloodstream and increase your risk of heart attack says a scientist at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham.

6 Sep 2010

Almost half of all Americans use prescription drugs each month

Nearly half of all Americans used at least one prescription drug per month in 2008, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Bloomberg reports. That's a 10 percent increase over the preceding decade. Over that time, yearly spending by Americans on drugs doubled to $234 billion. "The two biggest-sellers last year were Pfizer Inc.'s Lipitor for high cholesterol and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.'s clot-buster, Plavix.

4 Sep 2010

Cholesterol News and Research

Further Reading

UT Southwestern receives $8 million NIH grant to study influence of brain and liver on inflammation

FDA approves Krystexxa drug to treat gout

Gilead Sciences announces Quad regimen Phase II clinical trial results for HIV infection treatment

Health risk assessments

Resverlogix announces key changes to Phase 2 ASSURE trial

HealthFitness wellness program helps Eastman employees reduce health risks, lower medical claims

Study finds misclassification of risk groups for heart diseases

Method to predict risk of major coronary event may underestimate risk for millions of Americans: Study

NIH launches two research studies to examine ways to curtail childhood obesity epidemic

VAP Cholesterol Test can evaluate Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

APhA to highlight increasing role of pharmacists in improving health, well-being

Aflibercept Phase 3 VELOUR clinical trial for mCRC to continue to completion

NIH awards second $8 million grant for research into health effects of botanical estrogens

AHRQ releases free evidence-based guides for eight health conditions

GI Dynamics announces data on EndoBarrier therapy for type 2 diabetes, obesity

Risk of late onset TRAS in living unrelated donor kidney recipients

An overview on low-carbohydrate diets

Chemicals in non-stick cookware elevates cholesterol level among children: Report

Plaque-causing bacteria increases risk of heart attack

Almost half of all Americans use prescription drugs each month

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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