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.

Inhibiting cholesterol esterification can potentiate antitumor activity of killer T cells

As key players in the immune system, T cells provide tumor surveillance and have direct antitumor effects. However, tumors can escape T-cell attack through various mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment. Reactivating the antitumor effects of T cells has shown great clinical benefits in treating various cancers.

18 Mar 2016

Unhealthy diet, lack of exercise speed up onset of age-related conditions in mice

Could an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise be making you age faster? Researchers at Mayo Clinic believe there is a link between these modifiable lifestyle factors and the biological processes of aging. In a recent study, researchers demonstrated that a poor diet and lack of exercise accelerated the onset of cellular senescence and, in turn, age-related conditions in mice.

17 Mar 2016

Study: Statin drugs can reduce time to clear tuberculosis infection in mice

In a study using mice, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine infectious disease experts have added to evidence that statin drugs — known primarily for their cholesterol-lowering effects — can significantly reduce the time it takes to clear tuberculosis infection.

17 Mar 2016

Researchers aim to design a better male contraceptive pill

Women can choose from a wide selection of birth control methods, including numerous oral contraceptives, but there's never been an analogous pill for men. That's not for lack of trying: For many years, scientists have attempted to formulate a male pill. Finally, a group of researchers has taken a step toward that goal by tweaking some experimental compounds that show promise.

14 Mar 2016

Population health research on cardiovascular health finds positive results

In 2009, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, along with Allina Health, New Ulm Medical Center and the community of New Ulm, Minnesota, began a 10-year population health research project to learn if heart attacks and heart disease risk factors within a community could be decreased through community efforts. Results for the first five years have been released, and the initial findings are positive.

14 Mar 2016

Daylight saving time can increase stroke risk, study reveals

A recent study out of Finland found the overall rate for stroke was 8% higher in the two days after daylight saving time. Individuals with cancer were 25% more likely to have a stroke during that time, and people older than 65 were 20% more likely to have a stroke.

14 Mar 2016

Blueberries can have a real benefit in lowering risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's

The blueberry, already labeled a "super fruit" for its power to potentially lower the risk of heart disease and cancer, also could be another weapon in the war against Alzheimer's disease. New research being presented today further bolsters this idea, which is being tested by many teams.

14 Mar 2016

Synthetic nanoparticle can light up and treat atherosclerotic plaques

Atherosclerosis, a disease in which plaque builds up inside arteries, is a prolific and invisible killer, but it may soon lose its ability to hide in the body and wreak havoc. Scientists have now developed a nanoparticle that functionally mimics nature's own high-density lipoprotein (HDL). The nanoparticle can simultaneously light up and treat atherosclerotic plaques that clog arteries. Therapy with this approach could someday help prevent deadly heart attacks and strokes.

14 Mar 2016

Lots of 'good' cholesterol may be bad

Recent research has identified a genetic mutation that prevents high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol from being taken up by cells.

11 Mar 2016

New RI-MUHC-led study may change the way we think about prescribing statins

Millions of people today take statins to help lower their cholesterol level. Currently statins are prescribed to patients based on their future risk of cardiovascular disease - mainly driven by age - which excludes many individuals who may benefit from them. A new study led by the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre in Montreal, with collaborators from the United-States, is changing the way we think about prescribing statins. The research team has developed a new approach to determine which individuals should receive these important medications.

11 Mar 2016

Phase 3 study: Sarilumab monotherapy meets primary endpoint in active rheumatoid arthritis patients

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi today announced that a Phase 3 monotherapy study met its primary endpoint demonstrating that sarilumab was superior to adalimumab (marketed by AbbVie as HUMIRA) in improving signs and symptoms in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at Week 24.

11 Mar 2016

Specific gene mutation may significantly reduce risk of heart attack

People with a specific gene mutation have a 50 percent lower risk of suffering a heart attack. This is what an international team of researchers headed by the cardiologist Prof. Heribert Schunkert, Medical Director of the German Heart Center at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), discovered in a broad comparative study. If this gene were switched off with medications it could reduce the risk of coronary disease significantly.

10 Mar 2016

People newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis share risk factors of other chronic illnesses

People newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis may often have other chronic health conditions as well, according to a study published in the March 9, 2016 online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

10 Mar 2016

Mindful eating could improve heart health, glucose levels

Given the high stress levels, extended periods of screen time and regular social outings many Americans experience day-to-day in environments where high-calorie foods are readily available, it can be easy to fall into the habit of mindless eating - where we're too distracted to pay attention to how much, what and why we're eating. Research suggests that practicing mindfulness - or taking the time to bring awareness to present-moment experiences with an open attitude of curiosity and non-judgment - can be effective in allowing us to make more thoughtful food choices and recognize when we are hungry, satisfied or full.

9 Mar 2016

Obese children at greater risk for pedestrian injuries

Child development experts already know obese children are at greater risk than their peers for developing high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and joint problems.

9 Mar 2016

Leading dementia expert calls for greater public awareness of dementia risk factors

A leading dementia expert is calling for greater public awareness of the risk factors for dementia, following a new poll showing only a quarter of British adults think it is possible to reduce their risk of developing the condition.

8 Mar 2016

Providing healthy lifestyle advice reduces risk of heart-related deaths over next 40 years

In a recently published study, providing advice over a 5-year period about leading a healthy lifestyle reduced the risk of heart-related deaths over the next 40 years.

8 Mar 2016

Routine stress adversely affects women’s heart

While the number of men dying from a heart attack has been constantly decreasing during the past twenty years, the fatal risk particularly in young women has increased significantly. Gender medicine has already demonstrated that women exhibit different symptoms. A new insight shows that stress in the daily routine has particularly adverse effects on the hearts of women. This was emphasised by Alexandra Kautzky-Willer, Professor for Gender Medicine of MedUni Vienna, on the occasion of the impending International Women's Day on 8 March 2016.

4 Mar 2016

P53 genetic variant heavily implicated in metabolism, new research finds

The study may also provide an evolutionary explanation for differences in populations living farther away from the Equator. Human ancestors may have undergone this change in R72 to promote energy storage in cold climates and during times of famine. However, in modern society, the need for this type of variant in our genes is unnecessary, leading instead to increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Obesity is also a risk factor for certain types of cancer, so these findings may also explain why the R72 variant of p53 might predispose certain people to cancer.

4 Mar 2016

CPAP appears to improve glycemic control in patients with OSA and type 2 diabetes

Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, appears to improve glycemic control in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes that is not well controlled, according to research published in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

4 Mar 2016

Cholesterol News and Research

Further Reading

Inhibiting cholesterol esterification can potentiate antitumor activity of killer T cells

Unhealthy diet, lack of exercise speed up onset of age-related conditions in mice

Study: Statin drugs can reduce time to clear tuberculosis infection in mice

Researchers aim to design a better male contraceptive pill

Population health research on cardiovascular health finds positive results

Daylight saving time can increase stroke risk, study reveals

Blueberries can have a real benefit in lowering risk of heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's

Synthetic nanoparticle can light up and treat atherosclerotic plaques

Lots of 'good' cholesterol may be bad

New RI-MUHC-led study may change the way we think about prescribing statins

Phase 3 study: Sarilumab monotherapy meets primary endpoint in active rheumatoid arthritis patients

Specific gene mutation may significantly reduce risk of heart attack

People newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis share risk factors of other chronic illnesses

Mindful eating could improve heart health, glucose levels

Obese children at greater risk for pedestrian injuries

Leading dementia expert calls for greater public awareness of dementia risk factors

Providing healthy lifestyle advice reduces risk of heart-related deaths over next 40 years

Routine stress adversely affects women’s heart

P53 genetic variant heavily implicated in metabolism, new research finds

CPAP appears to improve glycemic control in patients with OSA and type 2 diabetes

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