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.

Researchers get one step closer to creating peptide vaccine against atherosclerosis

In the disease atherosclerosis, cholesterol-containing plaques form in vessel walls, causing arteries to narrow and greatly increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.

12 Apr 2018

Healthy diet can be key to preventing age-related macular degeneration

There is no permanent cure for age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in adults ages 50 and older affecting about 10 million Americans.

10 Apr 2018

New blood test may predict future heart disease risk

Despite heart disease and type 2 diabetes being among the leading causes of death in the U.S., the mechanisms leading to and linking these two diseases remain incompletely understood.

10 Apr 2018

Researchers discover how intestinal bacteria can influence blood glucose and lipid concentrations

Intestinal bacteria have attracted recent attention since they were discovered to influence various physiological functions and diseases in humans.

10 Apr 2018

Low and high HDL cholesterol linked to higher risk of infectious disease

Most people recognize that there is a relationship between cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease. But new research from Copenhagen University Hospital and University of Copenhagen shows that a certain kind of cholesterol might affect our health differently, that is, through a role in the immune system.

10 Apr 2018

Unexpected finding may play major role in deterring diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy is considered one of the most disabling complications of diabetes and the leading cause of new cases of vision loss among adults.

6 Apr 2018

Weekly nutrition education improves diabetes management

Prescriptions are not enough--diet changes and nutrition education make the difference in people with diabetes, according to a study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

6 Apr 2018

Researchers find unexpected anti-inflammatory effects in PCSK9 inhibitors

PCSK9 inhibition is a new therapeutic strategy for atherosclerosis which is known to lower LDL cholesterol.

5 Apr 2018

Optimistic Latinos more likely to have better cardiovascular health

Latinos who are the most optimistic are more likely to have healthy hearts, suggests a new study of more than 4,900 people of Latino/Hispanic ancestry living in the U.S.

30 Mar 2018

Single high-fat meal can set the stage for cardiovascular disease

A single high-fat milkshake, with a fat and calorie content similar to some enticing restaurant fare, can quickly transform our healthy red blood cells into small, spiky cells that wreak havoc inside our blood vessels and help set the perfect stage for cardiovascular disease, scientists report.

29 Mar 2018

Largest-ever study uncovers new genetic contributors to stroke

An international research group, including scientists at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, studying 520,000 people from around the world has identified 22 new genetic risk factors for stroke, tripling the number of gene regions known to affect stroke risk.

28 Mar 2018

Antibody sweeps away Alzheimer's plaques in mice

Years before people start showing characteristic symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, sticky plaques begin forming in their brains, damaging nearby cells. For decades, doctors have sought ways to clear out these plaques as a way to prevent or treat the disease.

27 Mar 2018

Study finds low treatment rates for people with elevated cholesterol levels

Less than 40 percent of people with severe elevations in cholesterol are being prescribed appropriate drug treatment, according to a nationally representative study reported in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

26 Mar 2018

Bariatric surgery linked to positive outcomes in very obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes

While it's not news that weight loss and medication control type 2 diabetes, a secondary analysis found that bariatric surgery could potentially be an effective option for very obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes, lowering blood glucose levels, improving weight loss and returning cholesterol and blood pressure levels to normal.

22 Mar 2018

Less nutritious diet mainly contributes to Type 2 diabetes among U.S.-based South Asians

Less nutritious dietary choices made by South Asians living in developed countries like the U.S. are a key contributor to the group's rising rate of Type 2 diabetes, UT Southwestern researchers report.

22 Mar 2018

Mental health assessment in health checks can help detect psychologically vulnerable people

If mental health was made part of a health check, then it would be possible to detect vulnerable people who have not received assistance from doctors or psychologists for their psychological problems. This is shown by a new study from Aarhus University.

22 Mar 2018

Graphic: Opioid painkiller is top prescription in 11 states

Americans fill about 4.5 billion prescriptions each year, at a cost of more than $323 billion. But what are we actually buying? In 11 states, the top prescriptions are opioid pain pills that are mixtures of acetaminophen and hydrocodone (brand names Vicodin and Norco), according to new data from GoodRx, an online prescription cost service.

22 Mar 2018

UCLA-led study suggests unexpected reason for reduction in cardiovascular health disparities

The nation's overall cardiovascular health worsened from 1988 to 2014, with disparities among racial and ethnic groups dropping slightly. But the reduction in disparities was due to worsening health among whites -- not improvements among African-Americans and Mexican-Americans, a new UCLA-led study suggests.

21 Mar 2018

Vitamin D deficiency linked to metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women

Results of a study carried out in Brazil showed a strong association between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women.

21 Mar 2018

High-fat, high-cholesterol diet depletes ranks of artery-protecting immune cells

New research from scientists at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology shows how a diet high in fat and cholesterol depletes the ranks of artery-protecting immune cells, turning them into promoters of inflammation, which exacerbate atherosclerotic plaque buildup that occurs in cardiovascular disease.

21 Mar 2018