Cholesterol News and Research

RSS

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.

DASH diet to lower blood pressure also reduces women's risk of heart failure

The DASH diet was initially developed to help patients lower their blood pressure, but a large study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) demonstrates that women who followed the diet also significantly reduced their risk of developing heart failure.

12 May 2009

High-caloric exercise reduces risks in heart patients the most

An exercise program that burns a lot of calories reduced cardiac risk factors better than standard cardiac rehabilitation in overweight coronary patients, researchers report in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

12 May 2009

Self-reported diagnosis of heart disease: Less than one in five heart problems are diagnosed before symptoms appear

Clinicians are missing golden opportunities to identify heart disease before patients start displaying symptoms, according to a study of 13,877 people published in the May issue of UK-based IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

11 May 2009

Discovery of major new treatment target in diseased arteries

Removing a single protein prevents early damage in blood vessels from triggering a later-stage, frequently lethal complication of atherosclerosis, according to research published online today in the journal Nature Medicine. By eliminating the gene for a signaling protein called cyclophilin A (CypA) from a strain of mice, researchers were able to provide complete protection against abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA).

11 May 2009

Low blood pressure may increase risk of heart attack and stroke

Data from the Treating to New Targets (TNT) trial presented today at the American Society of Hypertension's Twenty Fourth Annual Scientific Meeting (ASH 2009) show that low blood pressure levels may lead to increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. These data supplement previous findings from the TNT trial of atorvastatin showing aggressive LDL cholesterol-lowering reduced cardiovascular events.

7 May 2009

Blacks, Hispanics more concerned about Alzheimer's than whites, but less informed

Blacks and Hispanics are more concerned than whites about Alzheimer's disease but less knowledgeable about means to delay its onset, according to a new survey, United Press International reports.

5 May 2009

Study shows beneficial effects statins may have on gastrointestinal disorders

The commonly used prescription statin drugs may have a protective effect in the prevention of liver cancer and lead to a reduction in the need for gallbladder removals, according to two studies published in Gastroenterology.

5 May 2009

Research shows why certain atherosclerotic lesions can turn deadly

A common misconception about arterial plaque is that it inevitably leads to a heart attack or a stroke. New research at Columbia University Medical Center, however, sheds light on why so few plaques in any given individual actually cause a problem. Furthermore, the research has identified a key protein that may promote the conversion from benign to dangerous plaques.

5 May 2009

Drugs designed to tackle endoplasmic reticulum stress might be useful in treating heart disease

Researchers say they have evidence to explain what separates your average blood vessel plaque from those that are at high risk for triggering the development of dangerous - even fatal - blood clots.

5 May 2009

Obese kids significantly more likely to have lower body injuries

In comparison to non-obese children, obese children are significantly more likely to have lower body injuries, such as in their ankles and legs.

4 May 2009

Out-of-pocket costs reduce patients' willingness to start treatment for their chronic illnesses

Patients newly diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol are significantly more likely to delay initiating recommended drug treatment if they face higher co-payments for medications, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

30 Apr 2009

Smoking, hypertension and BMI are the leading preventable risk factors for premature mortality in the U.S.

The researchers found that smoking is responsible for 467,000 premature deaths each year, high blood pressure for 395,000, and being overweight for 216,000. The effects of smoking work out to be about one in five deaths in American adults, while high blood pressure is responsible for one in six deaths.

30 Apr 2009

Statins can lower PSA levels in men with prostate cancer

Beyond lowering cholesterol, statin medications have been found to have numerous other health benefits, including lowering a healthy man's risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, as well as lowering his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels.

30 Apr 2009

Eating fat-rich foods trigger long-term memory formation

Having strong memories of that rich, delicious dessert you ate last night?

30 Apr 2009

Excessive increase in heart rate before exercise doubles risk of sudden cardiac death in later life

French researchers have discovered a simple and cheap method of predicting who is at greater risk of dying suddenly and unexpectedly from a heart attack.

30 Apr 2009

URMC expert informs lupus patients on nutrition myths, realities

With May being Lupus Awareness Month, next week University of Rochester Medical Center rheumatologist Jennifer Anolik, M.D., Ph.D., will offer a free public talk that sheds light on how sensible eating and fitness habits can help patients better manage the disease.

30 Apr 2009

Research may bring drugs with triple the absorbing power and lower toxic risks

Drug makers might be able to triple the absorbing power of some medications and lower toxic risks of others, as a result of a study at the University of Maryland, Baltimore on how bile acids travel through the gut.

29 Apr 2009

Discovery of novel protein which, when over-expressed, leads to a dramatic increase in the generation of A-beta

A defining hallmark of Alzheimer's disease is the accumulation of the amyloid beta protein (A-beta), otherwise known as "senile plaques," in the brain's cortex and hippocampus, where memory consolidation occurs.

27 Apr 2009

Cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce inflammation in prostate tumors

Cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins may reduce inflammation in prostate tumors, possibly hindering cancer growth, according to a study led by investigators in the Duke Prostate Center.

26 Apr 2009

Statins may benefit men with prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction or lower urinary tract symptoms

Several new studies presented at the American Urological Association's (AUA) 104th Annual Scientific Meeting suggest that the use of statins - commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol - may benefit men with prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction or lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).

26 Apr 2009

Cholesterol News and Research

Further Reading

DASH diet to lower blood pressure also reduces women's risk of heart failure

High-caloric exercise reduces risks in heart patients the most

Self-reported diagnosis of heart disease: Less than one in five heart problems are diagnosed before symptoms appear

Discovery of major new treatment target in diseased arteries

Low blood pressure may increase risk of heart attack and stroke

Blacks, Hispanics more concerned about Alzheimer's than whites, but less informed

Study shows beneficial effects statins may have on gastrointestinal disorders

Research shows why certain atherosclerotic lesions can turn deadly

Drugs designed to tackle endoplasmic reticulum stress might be useful in treating heart disease

Obese kids significantly more likely to have lower body injuries

Out-of-pocket costs reduce patients' willingness to start treatment for their chronic illnesses

Smoking, hypertension and BMI are the leading preventable risk factors for premature mortality in the U.S.

Statins can lower PSA levels in men with prostate cancer

Eating fat-rich foods trigger long-term memory formation

Excessive increase in heart rate before exercise doubles risk of sudden cardiac death in later life

URMC expert informs lupus patients on nutrition myths, realities

Research may bring drugs with triple the absorbing power and lower toxic risks

Discovery of novel protein which, when over-expressed, leads to a dramatic increase in the generation of A-beta

Cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce inflammation in prostate tumors

Statins may benefit men with prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction or lower urinary tract symptoms

Event guide: 4th Extra-Hepatic Lipid-Based Nanoparticles Delivery Summit eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Latest News