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.

Heart attacks that occur in late pregnancy cause more damage

Heart attacks during pregnancy are uncommon, but the prevalence of heart disease in pregnant mothers has increased over the past decade as more women delay pregnancy until they are older. These women, who are generally less physically active than their younger peers, tend to have higher cholesterol levels and are at greater risk of heart disease and diabetes.

3 Jul 2012

Platelet activation linked to osteoporosis

Elderly, postmenopausal women with osteoporosis have elevated platelet volumes, report researchers.

2 Jul 2012

Scientists successfully tag serotonin transporter to track movements of single molecules

In a process akin to belling an infinitesimal cat, scientists have managed to tag a protein that regulates the neurotransmitter serotonin with tiny fluorescent beads, allowing them to track the movements of single molecules for the first time.

29 Jun 2012

Drug trial participants should be better informed about benefits and side-effects of placebos

Research carried out at the University of Southampton has concluded that participants in drug trials should be better informed about the potential significant benefits and possible side-effects of placebos.

29 Jun 2012

Study reveals technique that allows scientists to watch lipid metabolism in live zebrafish

In mammals, most lipids are absorbed into the body via the small intestine. The complexity of the cells and fluids that inhabit this organ make it very difficult to study in a laboratory setting. New research from Carnegie's Steven Farber, James Walters and Jennifer Anderson reveals a technique that allows scientists to watch lipid metabolism in live zebrafish. This method enabled them to describe new aspects of lipid absorption that could have broad applications for human health.

29 Jun 2012

Study suggests new treatment strategy for heart attacks and strokes

A heart attack doesn't just damage heart muscle tissue by cutting off its blood supply, it also sets off an inflammatory cascade that worsens underlying atherosclerosis, actively increasing the risk for a future heart attack. These findings from a study receiving advance online publication in Nature suggest an important new therapeutic strategy for preventing heart attacks and strokes, both of which are caused when atherosclerotic plaques rupture and block important blood vessels.

28 Jun 2012

Arena receives FDA approval for Belviq to treat obesity

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Belviq (lorcaserin hydrochloride), as an addition to a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, for chronic weight management.

28 Jun 2012

Chronic kidney disease is major risk factor for future coronary events

People with chronic kidney disease have a 10-year risk for myocardial infarction of around 12%, report researchers who found that this was higher than that for people with diabetes.

26 Jun 2012

Study: Fertility drug-conceived children are shorter on average

Among children born full term, those conceived with the help of fertility drugs are slightly shorter than naturally conceived children but overall are physically healthy, a new study finds. Results of the study will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

26 Jun 2012

New scoring system may better identify adolescents with metabolic syndrome

Researchers have developed a new scoring system that may better identify adolescents with the metabolic syndrome, a group at increased risk of later developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

26 Jun 2012

Combination of liraglutide and insulin controls blood sugar in obese adults with T1D

Obese adults with poorly controlled Type 1 diabetes can better control their blood sugar by adding liraglutide, a Type 2 diabetes drug, to their insulin therapy, a new study finds. The results, which will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, also found that these diabetic patients lost weight and lowered their blood pressure.

26 Jun 2012

Long-term intensive combination lipid therapy may be effective against atherosclerotic disease

For the first time, a study has found that intensive cholesterol therapy involving a combination of drugs for 20 years may be more effective over the long run than taking a single statin medication.

26 Jun 2012

Male hormonal contraceptives applied daily to the skin reduce sperm production

Male hormonal contraceptives applied daily to the skin reduce sperm production, finds a new study to be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

26 Jun 2012

Study: 40 million Americans ages 12 and older have addiction disease

Forty million Americans ages 12 and older have addiction involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs, a disease affecting more Americans than heart conditions, diabetes or cancer according to a five-year national study released today by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA Columbia).

26 Jun 2012

More evidence of link between low vitamin D levels and increased risk of metabolic syndrome

Turn down the volume to improve heart health

Individuals who live in an area that is exposed to high road traffic noise have a significantly increased risk for myocardial infarction (MI), researchers suggest.

25 Jun 2012

Exercise and diet together reduce chances of developing metabolic syndrome in obese older adults

Obese older adults can reduce their chance of developing the metabolic syndrome by losing weight through dieting alone, but adding exercise to a weight loss program has even more benefit, a new study finds. The results, to be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston, show that a combination of diet-induced weight loss and frequent exercise almost doubled the improvement in insulin sensitivity compared with dieting alone.

25 Jun 2012

Common experience of menopausal symptoms not associated with heart disease risk

The hot flashes and night sweats that most women experience early in menopause are not linked to increased levels of cardiovascular disease risk markers unless the symptoms persist or start many years after menopause begins. These new study results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

25 Jun 2012

Diabetic Neuropathy: An interview with Dr Brian Callaghan

Diabetes is the number 1 cause of neuropathy, which is a very common condition in itself. In fact, up to half of all neuropathy is caused by diabetes, although other people can get the condition as well.

25 Jun 2012

GI Dynamics announces clinical data about EndoBarrier Therapy at ASMBS meeting

GI Dynamics, Inc. announced today that clinical data about EndoBarrier Therapy, a breakthrough treatment for type 2 diabetes and/or obesity, was presented at the 29th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) in San Diego.

23 Jun 2012