Cholesterol News and Research

RSS

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.

Pilot study shows cholesterol-lowering medication improves function of coronary arteries

In a pilot study of people living with HIV or high levels of cholesterol, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers found that a six-week course of a cholesterol-lowering medication improved the function of the coronary arteries that provide oxygen to the heart.

29 Jul 2020

Little-used measurement of 'good cholesterol' can better predict heart attack and stroke risk

For decades, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol has been dubbed "good cholesterol" because of its role in moving fats and other cholesterol molecules out of artery walls.

27 Jul 2020

Study shows how protective T cells become pathogenic in atherosclerosis

High cholesterol kills. In fact, one in four Americans will die from the consequences of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaques of fat and cholesterol in the arteries. Statins have helped reduce mortality, but millions are still at risk.

24 Jul 2020

Study: Plant-based diets rich in whole carbohydrates can improve insulin sensitivity

Plant-based diets rich in whole carbohydrates can improve insulin sensitivity and other health markers in individuals with type 1 diabetes, according to two case studies published by researchers from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in the Journal of Diabetes & Metabolism.

23 Jul 2020

Genetic testing can help make well-informed decisions about heart health

Genetic testing and counseling for inherited cardiovascular diseases may help patients and their families make well-informed decisions about managing their heart health, according to "Genetic Testing for Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases," a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association, published today in the Association's journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

23 Jul 2020

Chocolate consumption linked to reduced risk of heart disease

Eating chocolate at least once a week is linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology.

22 Jul 2020

Genes and cardiovascular health can raise or lower dementia risk, study finds

Individuals with genetic risk factors for dementia can still reduce their risk by improving their cardiovascular health.

21 Jul 2020

Researchers develop world’s smallest, flexible scope for imaging blood vessels

A team of researchers led by the University of Adelaide and University of Stuttgart has used 3D micro-printing to develop the world's smallest, flexible scope for looking inside blood vessels.

21 Jul 2020

Leftover fermented barley may reduce animals’ stress, improve pork quality

Tastier pork comes from pigs that eat the barley left over after making the Japanese liquor shochu. A team of professional brewers and academic farmers state that nutrients in the leftover fermented barley may reduce the animals' stress, resulting in better tasting sirloin and fillets.

21 Jul 2020

3D imaging device provides a better understanding on the causes of heart attack

A team of researchers led by the University of Adelaide and University of Stuttgart has used 3D micro-printing to develop the world's smallest, flexible scope for looking inside blood vessels.

21 Jul 2020

Ten major risk factors for Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have collated available scientific evidence on risk factors associated with Alzheimer's disease and come up with a list of ten important ones.

21 Jul 2020

More than half of American children lack cardiorespiratory fitness

A new study strengthens the claim that children today are not as healthy as those decades ago. In fact, the study by researchers on behalf of the American Heart Association (AHA) has found that nearly 60 percent of American children do not have healthy cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), a key measure of physical fitness and overall health.

20 Jul 2020

Scientists discover promising drug target for dry age-related macular degeneration

Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have shown that the blood protein vitronectin is a promising drug target for dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 years of age and older.

20 Jul 2020

Study shows feasibility of using cardiovascular risk screening tool in outpatient gynecology setting

A new study has shown that although 86% of women seen at an outpatient gynecology clinic had a cardiovascular risk factor and 40.1% had at least one cardiovascular symptom, the awareness of cardiovascular risk factors and symptoms was low.

20 Jul 2020

A new strategy to combat treatment resistance in choroidal neovascularization

An international team of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine and Houston Methodist has discovered a strategy that can potentially address a major challenge to the current treatment for choroidal neovascularization (CNV), an aggressive form of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly.

16 Jul 2020

UTHSC researchers receive $2.4 million to study the role of cholesterol in brain artery health

Alex Dopico, MD, PhD, professor and Van Vleet Chair of Excellence in the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, and Anna Bukiya, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, have been awarded $2.4 million from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to explore how cholesterol interacts with the mechanisms that modulate blood vessel function in the brain.

16 Jul 2020

Study: Rate of recurrent strokes is significantly declined among Mexican Americans

The rate of recurrent strokes significantly declined among Mexican Americans in a long-term study, according to new research published today in Stroke, a journal of the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association.

16 Jul 2020

Selective statins may reduce SARS-CoV-2 cell entry and inhibit infection

Statins are a class of drugs often used to control high cholesterol levels in obesity. Now, a study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in July 2020 suggests that statins do not aggravate the risk of COVID-19 infection and may have a small beneficial effect in some cases.

16 Jul 2020

Research shows time-restricted feeding diets are effective for weight loss

Two daily fasting diets, also known as time-restricted feeding diets, are effective for weight loss, according to a new study published by researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

16 Jul 2020

Obesity and metabolic syndrome increase risk for severe influenza, COVID-19

Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of severe disease from viral infection, according to a review of the literature performed by a team of researchers from St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, both in Memphis.

15 Jul 2020