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 discover new evidence on how cholesterol transfers from HDLs to LDLs

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have found new evidence to explain how cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mediates the transfer of cholesterol from "good" high density lipoproteins (HDLs) to "bad" low density lipoproteins.

21 Feb 2012

Slow walk and poor grip may predict dementia and stroke

According to U.S. researchers the speed of a person’s walk may predict the likelihood of developing dementia later in life. They also told a conference that grip strength in middle-age was linked to the chance of a stroke. The scientists said more studies were needed to understand the connection.

18 Feb 2012

The 'nutritional magic' behind soy's heart health benefits

Nutrition science has regarded soy as a superfood with many health benefits for decades. In fact, "25 grams of soy protein per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease," according to the FDA.

18 Feb 2012

Abcodia, Volition announce collaboration agreement

VolitionRX Limited, a life sciences company focused on developing blood-based diagnostic tests, announces a collaboration agreement with Abcodia, a specialist company spun out from University College London (UCL), under which Volition will gain access to Abcodia's biobank of over 5,000,000 human serum samples to validate its suite of NuQ tests.

17 Feb 2012

New genetic resource to accelerate development of novel treatments for diseases

A new genetic resource from an international research consortium is expected to accelerate the development of new cures and treatments for a wide range of human diseases. This project, called the mouse "Collaborative Cross" (CC) resource, will increase the likelihood that experiments conducted in mice will advance our understanding of human biology.

17 Feb 2012

AstraZeneca launches ARIMIDEX Direct to help cancer patients

AstraZeneca today announced its first-ever direct-to-patient program offering patients with a valid prescription for ARIMIDEX or anastrozole the opportunity to have the brand ARIMIDEX delivered directly to their home by Express Scripts, a specialty pharmacy services provider, for $40 per month, including shipping.

17 Feb 2012

NCQA tool doesn't adequately evaluate quality of diabetes care at health centers

On the health front, the poor often have at least two things going against them: a lack of insurance and chronic illnesses, of which diabetes is among the most common.

16 Feb 2012

Diet exerts a strong influence on heart health

Food is your friend and your biggest foe. A healthy diet sustains us, but a poor diet can raise blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and weight and put you at risk for heart disease.

16 Feb 2012

Disrupted sleep may raise risk of Alzheimer’s disease

According to a new study, which will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 64th Annual Meeting in New Orleans, April 21st to April 28th, the amount of sleep people get may later affect their memory's function and the risk of Alzheimer's.

15 Feb 2012

Mediterranean diet could prevent brain damage in the long term: Study

A new study suggests that people who follow a Mediterranean-style diet have less small blood vessel damage in the brain. The study appeared in the February issue of the Archives of Neurology.

15 Feb 2012

Higher levels of MVPA may improve cardiometabolic risk factors in children, adolescents

In a study that included data for more than 20,000 children and adolescents, higher amounts of time with moderate to vigorous physical activity were associated with better cardiometabolic risk factors (such as measures of cholesterol, blood pressure and waist size), regardless of the amount of time spent sedentary, according to a study in the February 15 issue of JAMA.

15 Feb 2012

Calcium scoring screening can effectively detect CAD

Heart disease tragically affects almost every family in the United States. It claimed more than 616,000 lives in 2008, the latest year for which statistics are available. Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease and can lead to heart attacks, heart failure, strokes, arrhythmia and angina.

15 Feb 2012

Scientists identify and describe molecular mechanism behind holoprosencephaly

Researchers of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have now identified and described a molecular mechanism underlying the most common malformation of the brain in humans. In holoprosencephaly (HPE), the forebrain (prosencephalon) is only incompletely formed.

14 Feb 2012

Kowa announces data of LIVALO vs. Crestor on pharmacodynamics of warfarin

Kowa Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. today announced data assessing the effect of LIVALO (pitavastatin) compared with Crestor (rosuvastatin) on steady-state pharmacodynamics (PD) of warfarin by measuring international normalized ratio (INR) in healthy adult subjects.

14 Feb 2012

Regeneron reports total revenues of $123.0M for fourth quarter 2011

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced financial and operating results for the fourth quarter and full year 2011 and provided an update on development programs.

13 Feb 2012

Santarus initiates enrollment in UCERIS Phase IIIb study for ulcerative colitis

Santarus, Inc. today announced that it has begun patient enrollment in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIIb clinical study with the investigational drug UCERIS (budesonide) tablets 9 mg to evaluate whether there is an incremental benefit when UCERIS 9 mg is added to current oral aminosalicylate (5-ASA) therapy for patients with mild or moderate active ulcerative colitis who are not adequately controlled on background 5-ASA therapy.

13 Feb 2012

Y chromosome may be the link that passes heart disease risk from father to son

The study, published in The Lancet, focused on genetic markers on the Y chromosome — which is present only in male DNA (women have two X chromosomes) — and found that men with a certain genetic variant were 50% more likely to have coronary artery disease than those without it. The increased risk was independent of other contributors to heart disease such as age, weight, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and smoking.

12 Feb 2012

Heart-healthy Valentine's Day meal tips

Eat your heart out America, for there are foods that actually help the health of your heart. "Years of research has shown that a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, unsaturated fat and lean protein will not only help with weight maintenance, but with overall heart health," said Katie Boles, R.D., L.D.N., clinical dietician with the Brenner FIT Program, at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. "Eating a variety of these foods and eating them in moderation is key to a heart-healthy diet."

10 Feb 2012

ACC: New community-wide collaboration to reduce impact of chronic diseases

A new community-wide collaboration to reduce the impact of chronic disease and empower patients is generating impressive early results, leaders of the Accountable Care Community (ACC) initiative said today. The Akron-based Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA) is leading the initiative with its founding institutional members and more than 60 public and private community partners.

9 Feb 2012

UCLA cardiologist offers heart-healthy tips

It's that time of year to remind ourselves to embrace lifestyle choices that can help maintain a healthy heart. UCLA cardiologist Dr. Karol Watson says that social connections, a healthy diet and stress reduction are just a few of the things we can do to support the heart.

9 Feb 2012