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.

LMU researchers discover how a microRNA preserves vascular integrity

Ludwig-Maximilian-Universitaet in Munich researchers have discovered a hitherto unknown molecular function of a specific microRNA that preserves integrity of the endothelium and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis.

4 Jun 2020

Polygenic risk scores may improve clinical assessment of patients with elevated heart attack risk

Genetic variants have been linked with a higher risk of having a heart attack, permitting the calculation of "polygenic risk scores" (PRS) that quantify patients' inherited susceptibility based on the number of variants they have.

2 Jun 2020

New project investigating role of B cells in cardiovascular disease receives $6.5 million grant

Christoph Binder, Professor of Atherosclerosis Research at MedUni Vienna, is to coordinate an international research network investigating the role of B cells in cardiovascular disease.

2 Jun 2020

Crucial ingredient from University of Kansas included in authorized COVID-19 drug

When the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency-use authorization for the investigational pharmaceutical remdesivir to treat COVID-19 on May 1, in part it was due to pioneering work performed by pharmaceutical chemists at the University of Kansas School of Pharmacy in 1990.

1 Jun 2020

Study solves the longstanding mystery of anesthesia

Surgery would be inconceivable without general anesthesia, so it may come as a surprise that despite its 175-year history of medical use, doctors and scientists have been unable to explain how anesthetics temporarily render patients unconscious.

30 May 2020

New technology developed to map cholesterol metabolism in the brain

A team of researchers led by Swansea University have developed new technology to monitor cholesterol in brain tissue which could uncover its relation to neurodegenerative disease and pave the way for the development of new treatments.

29 May 2020

Using gene therapy to help the body to make its own cancer drugs

Imagine that we could instruct our bodies to make the drugs they need themselves. The gene technology that makes this possible is called mRNA therapy, which may become a major tool in the treatment of multiple diseases.

29 May 2020

Lifestyle habits reduce concentration of LDL cholesterol in children

An individualized and family-based physical activity and dietary intervention reduced the plasma LDL cholesterol concentration of primary school children, a new study from the University of Eastern Finland shows.

29 May 2020

Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in American Indians and Alaska Natives

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects American Indians and Alaska Natives at approximately three times the rate of white Americans and is closely linked to the disproportionately high rates of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes, according to the American Heart Association Scientific Statement "Cardiovascular Health in American Indians and Alaska Natives," published today in the Association's flagship journal Circulation.

28 May 2020

No-deductible preventive drugs can reduce out-of-pocket costs for diabetic patients

For patients with diabetes - especially those with lower incomes - preventive drug lists (PDLs) of essential medications available with no deductible can reduce out-of-pocket costs while increasing use of important treatments, reports a study in a June supplement to Medical Care.

27 May 2020

Researchers find a 'skinny' gene

Some people may have trouble losing weight, while others find it hard to gain weight. Now, a team of scientists may have found the answer to why some people remain thin despite eating without restriction.

26 May 2020

Women and older adults still vastly underrepresented in cholesterol drug trials

Although heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, and older adults are more likely to have heart and vascular disease than young people, randomized clinical trials testing medications to lower cholesterol have historically underenrolled both groups.

22 May 2020

Study finds mechanism by which fish consumption reduces cardiovascular disease risk

A study by researchers from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Harvard Medical School has found that consuming omega 3 primarily through fish, but also in supplements containing these fatty acids, can modulate lipoproteins, that is, the particles that transport lipids through the blood, and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

21 May 2020

Study focuses on COVID-19 patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused nearly five million cases and over 327,000 deaths worldwide. The signs and symptoms of this disease are varied, although there are typical features which assist diagnosis.

20 May 2020

Social isolation raises the risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality

Those who are socially isolated are over 40% more likely to have a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, than those who were socially integrated, new research has shown.

20 May 2020

Study shows dairy products are linked to lower risks of diabetes and high blood pressure

Researchers have found in a large study that having at least two servings of dairy products can lower the risk of getting diabetes and high blood pressure as well as metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a mixture of more than one condition that raises the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases.

18 May 2020

Potential targets discovered for COVID-19 therapy

A team of biochemists and virologists at Goethe University and the Frankfurt University Hospital were able to observe how human cells change upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19 in people.

14 May 2020

Low albumin levels could predict poor outcome in COVID-19

A Spanish study has revealed that COVID-19 patients who have a low level of albumin have a poorer outcome compared to those with normal levels of blood albumin. The study titled, “Low albumin levels are associated with poorer outcomes in a case series of COVID-19 patients in Spain: a retrospective cohort study,” was released prior to peer-review on the open-access preprint server site Medrxiv*.

13 May 2020

Study uncovers how the body synthesizes triglycerides

Doctors regularly warn their patients that having high levels of triglycerides, a major dietary fat, can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and fatty liver disease.

13 May 2020

A 'multi-omics' approach to the development of drugs against COVID-19

A new study published on the preprint server medRxiv* in May 2020 reports a multi-omics approach that could make it easier to develop drugs that are effective against COVID-19.

12 May 2020