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.

HDL cholesterol benefits reduced with high C-reactive protein

The cardioprotective effects of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol are compromised in the presence of elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, report researchers.

21 Aug 2012

First Edition: August 21, 2012

Today's headlines include reports from the campaign trail, where House candidates are turning up the Medicare debate; and from the health care marketkplace, where Aetna acquired Coventry Health, a Medicare and Medicaid insurer.

21 Aug 2012

Healthy brown-bag lunch can combat obesity in school children

As the new school year approaches, parents have to decide what their children will eat for lunch. Should they help the kids brown bag it or remember to take their lunch money? While this might not seem to be a major issue, it is - because the importance of school lunch rises with the rates of childhood obesity, say University of Alabama at Birmingham experts.

21 Aug 2012

People with metabolic abnormalities may experience rapid decline in their cognitive skills

People who are obese and also have high blood pressure and other risk factors called metabolic abnormalities may experience a faster decline in their cognitive skills over time than others, according to a study published in the August 21, 2012, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

21 Aug 2012

Study finds decline in incidence of heart failure cases in Ontario

The number of new cases of heart failure in Ontario decreased 33% over a decade, suggesting preventive efforts may be working. However, mortality rates remain high for people with the disease, states a study published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

21 Aug 2012

Resveratrol might help improve mobility and prevent life-threatening falls among older people

In a stride toward better health in later life, scientists reported today that resveratrol, the so-called "miracle molecule" found in red wine, might help improve mobility and prevent life-threatening falls among older people.

20 Aug 2012

Bariatric surgery improves overall quality of life for people with obesity

New research shows that people who have bariatric surgery to treat obesity report an overall improvement in quality of life issues after surgery, from their relationships to their medical conditions. Arizona State University researchers will present their findings at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

18 Aug 2012

Total cholesterol test can identify patients at increased risk of heart disease

Researchers in India have developed a total cholesterol test that uses a digital camera to take a snapshot of the back of the patient's hand rather than a blood sample. The image obtained is cropped and compared with images in a database for known cholesterol levels.

18 Aug 2012

Food preferences influence sleep patterns, metabolic health

The relationship between short sleep duration and the development of metabolic abnormalities may be partly influenced by food preferences, show study findings.

16 Aug 2012

Tofacitinib shows promise in active ulcerative colitis

Tofacitinib can induce a clinical response in the majority of patients with moderate to severe, active ulcerative colitis, a placebo-controlled trial has shown.

16 Aug 2012

Blood typifies coronary risk

Individuals with an A, B, or AB blood type have a significantly higher risk for coronary heart disease than those with an O blood type, say experts.

16 Aug 2012

Prevalence of high cholesterol still a concern for US youth

Cholesterol levels seem to have improved over the last two decades among young individuals in the US, but a high prevalence of unfavorable lipid profiles is still being observed among this population, report researchers.

16 Aug 2012

Intake of Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil may increase serum osteocalcin concentrations

A study to be published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (JCEM) shows consumption of a Mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil for two years is associated with increased serum osteocalcin concentrations, suggesting a protective effect on bone.

16 Aug 2012

Low adropin levels may increase risk of metabolic disease

Working with a national team of researchers, a scientist from the Florida campus of The Scripps Research Institute has shown for the first time a link between low levels of a specific hormone and increased risk of metabolic disease in humans.

16 Aug 2012

Low HDL cholesterol ADVANCEs nephropathy risk in diabetes

People with diabetes are at a greater risk for the development or progression of diabetic nephropathy if they have low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, report researchers.

15 Aug 2012

Healthy lifestyle provides stroke prevention across hypertensive states

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle significantly decreases the risk for stroke in both men and women who differ in their hypertension status and use of antihypertensive drug treatments, a study shows.

15 Aug 2012

CD4 T cells orchestrate inflammatory attack on the artery wall

Most people probably know that heart disease remains the nation's No. 1 killer. But what many may be surprised to learn is that cholesterol has a major accomplice in causing dangerous arterial plaque buildup that can trigger a heart attack. The culprit? Inflammatory cells produced by the immune system.

15 Aug 2012