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.

Roundup: Mass. officials wrestle with municipal health care issues

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says he and legislative leaders are in fundamental agreement over what should be included in a municipal health care bill, even while there remains disagreement on the specifics. The House approved a measure last week that would largely strip public employee unions of collective bargaining rights over health care benefits. The Senate is expected to act in the coming weeks.

4 May 2011

Belly fat predicts heart-disease risk better than BMI: Study

According to the latest study the fat around the belly is the chief culprit in the link between obesity and cardiovascular disease. This study raises the possibility that people can be overweight without significantly raising their heart risk, so long as they carry the extra fat in places other than their belly. In fact, a few extra pounds may even lower the risk of death from heart disease, researchers found.

3 May 2011

Coronary artery disease patients with high BMI may face higher risk of death

One of the largest studies of its kind has found that people with coronary artery disease who have even a modest beer belly or muffin top are at higher risk for death than people whose fat collects elsewhere. The effect was observed even in patients with a normal Body Mass Index.

3 May 2011

Esperion reports positive results from ETC-1002 Phase 1 study in dyslipidemia

Esperion Therapeutics, a privately held biotechnology company working to discover, develop and commercialize treatments for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, today announced the results from a Phase 1 study and four preclinical studies for ETC-1002 at the Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2011 Scientific Sessions in Chicago.

3 May 2011

Statins can help reduce lung damage in severe abdominal sepsis

Statins may be best known for their ability to reduce cholesterol, but a research report appearing in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology shows that these same drugs could also play a crucial role in the reduction of lung damage resulting from severe abdominal sepsis and infection.

3 May 2011

Free medical clinic at Tacoma Dome to serve more patients

This Saturday's massive free medical clinic for the uninsured at the Tacoma Dome will add 250 more patient appointments as a result of an outpouring of support from medical and non-medical volunteers.

30 Apr 2011

WHO highlights global threat of NCDs, need for action at Moscow meeting

Non-communicable diseases are a "slow-moving catastrophe" that could overwhelm even the richest countries without action to address their underlying causes, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said at the First Global Ministerial Conference on Healthy Lifestyles and Non-communicable Disease Control in Moscow on Thursday, the U.N. News Centre reports.

30 Apr 2011

People with Alzheimer's, cardiovascular risk gene experience early memory decline

People who carry a gene associated with Alzheimer's disease and have cardiovascular risks experience age-related memory decline 20 to 25 years sooner than people who carry the gene without cardiovascular risk according to a 17-year Mayo Clinic-led study recently published in Neurology.

30 Apr 2011

FDA approves Abbott's AndroGel for hypogonadism treatment in men

Abbott announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved AndroGel 1.62%, a clear, odorless, gel formulation shown to restore testosterone levels in hypogonadal men with half the volume of gel at the starting dose compared to AndroGel 1%.

30 Apr 2011

Interval training and healthy eating are perfect solutions for obesity sufferers

A program which combines interval training and healthy eating practices seems to be perfectly indicated for those suffering from obesity, according to the results of a new study from the Montreal Hearth Institute's centre for preventive medicine and physical activity.

29 Apr 2011

Melatonin can help fight obesity and risks associated with it

University of Granada researchers have proven that melatonin -a natural hormone produced by the body- helps in controlling weight gain -even without reducing the intake of food-, improves blood lipid profile -as it reduces triglicerids-, increases HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol.

29 Apr 2011

Study examines racial differences between obesity and vitamin D among children

A recent study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism found that while black and white children with vitamin D deficiency both had higher fat levels, black children were more likely to have higher levels of fat just under their skin and white children were more likely to have higher levels of fat between their internal organs.

28 Apr 2011

Calls for improvement of hospital food by Australian Medical Association

According to the Australian Medical Association (AMA) the standards of meals must improve in public hospitals in South Australia or more patients will be discharged in a malnourished state. It says nutrition is being addressed but the overall standard of meals is not high enough. They added that for elderly patients there are simple obstacles such as hard-to-open food packaging.

28 Apr 2011

Grapefruit can help reduce weight in obese adults

One-hundred percent grapefruit juice – a dieter's friend? A new study, published in Nutrition & Metabolism, concluded that enjoying a pre-meal snack of grapefruit, grapefruit juice or water as part of a reduced-calorie diet can be part of an effective weight loss strategy for obese adults.

28 Apr 2011

Positive results from Sanofi-aventis and Regeneron ZALTRAP Phase III study in mCRC

Sanofi-aventis and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the Phase III VELOUR trial evaluating the investigational agent ZALTRAP, also known as VEGF Trap, in combination with the FOLFIRI chemotherapy regimen versus a regimen of FOLFIRI plus placebo met its primary endpoint of improving overall survival in the second-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer.

27 Apr 2011

Cholesterol-lowering drugs may help clot-busting drugs treat strokes

Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins may help clot-busting drugs treat strokes, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

27 Apr 2011

Experts to present research on vascular biology and disease at ATVB meetings

Nearly 1,200 experts in cardiovascular medicine, vascular biology, endocrinology, hematology and other disciplines are expected to attend the American Heart Association's Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology 2011 Scientific Sessions, April 28-30, in Chicago, Ill.

26 Apr 2011

Death rates have decreased among people with high blood pressure

Death rates have decreased among people with high blood pressure but remain far higher than in those without it, according to research in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Apr 2011

People who travel extensively for business have high rates of health risk factors

People who travel extensively for business have increased rates of poor health and health risk factors, including obesity and high blood pressure, reports a study in the April Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

26 Apr 2011

Simple, obvious and obscure ways to keep minds sharp and brains healthy

From a glance at the magazine stands, Americans appear obsessed with losing weight, cutting their cardiac risks and seeking to improve their odds against cancer. But where's the focus on brain health?

25 Apr 2011