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.

Atorvastatin and lovastatin found to be ineffective for breast cancer prevention

Laboratory work in animals showed limited activity when statins were given to prevent breast cancer, according to a report in the February issue of Cancer Prevention Research , a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

8 Feb 2009

Medications control metabolism dominate spending for prescription meds

Medications that affect a person's metabolism by helping to lower cholesterol, control diabetes and control weight accounted for $38 billion of the $208.1 billion that American adults spent on medications in 2006, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

8 Feb 2009

Weight loss stops obstructive sleep apnea

For sufferers of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a new study shows that losing weight is perhaps the single most effective way to reduce OSA symptoms and associated disorders, according to a new study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , one of the American Thoracic Society's three peer-reviewed journals.

8 Feb 2009

Even moderate exercise helps breast cancer recovery

Australian researchers have found that exercise can offer benefits to women recovering from breast cancer treatment.

8 Feb 2009

What's the most common long-term complication of diabetes?

What's the most common long-term complication of diabetes? Problems with the heart and blood vessels, according to the February issue of Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource.

5 Feb 2009

Exposure to second-hand smoke and alcohol significantly raises the risk of liver disease

The finding adds to mounting evidence that tobacco smoke and alcohol are worse for health as a combination, beyond the individual exposure risks, said Shannon Bailey, Ph.D., an associate professor in the UAB Department of Environmental Health Sciences and a co-lead author on the study.

3 Feb 2009

Resting pulse predicts heart attacks in women

A simple measurement of resting pulse predicts coronary events in women independently of physical activity and common risk factors, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, finds a study published on bmj.com.

3 Feb 2009

Weight loss in overweight and obese women reduces urinary incontinence

Reducing urinary incontinence can now be added to the extensive list of health benefits of weight loss, according to a clinical trial funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), both part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

2 Feb 2009

Is rapid transition through menopause linked to earlier onset of heart disease?

An evaluation of 203 women as part of the multifaceted Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study (LAAS) found that those who transitioned more quickly through menopause were at increased risk for a higher rate of progression of "preclinical atherosclerosis" - narrowing of arteries caused by the thickening of their walls.

29 Jan 2009

Plums poised to give blueberries run for the money

There's an emerging star in the super-food world. Plums are rolling down the food fashion runway sporting newly discovered high levels of healthy nutrients, say scientists at Texas AgriLife Research.

29 Jan 2009

Statins may treat cerebral cavernous malformation

In a finding that could save thousands of lives a year, University of Utah School of Medicine researchers have shown that a blood vessel disorder leading to unpredictable, sometimes fatal, hemorrhagic strokes, seizures, paralysis or other problems is treatable with the same statin drugs that millions of people take to control high cholesterol.

27 Jan 2009

Researchers identify compound that frees trapped cholesterol

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have identified in mice a compound that liberates cholesterol that has inappropriately accumulated to excessive levels inside cells.

27 Jan 2009

We need 5 to 10 percent of calories from omega-6 fatty acids

Omega-6 fatty acids - found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds - are a beneficial part of a heart-healthy eating plan, according to a science advisory published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

27 Jan 2009

Diabetes epidemic shows no signs of abating

In the United States, nearly 13 percent of adults age 20 and older have diabetes, but 40 percent of them have not been diagnosed, according to epidemiologists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), whose study includes newly available data from an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT).

27 Jan 2009

Scientists discover a compound that gets rid of excess cholesterol

New research by scientists in the United States carried out in mice has revealed a compound that releases excessive cholesterol accumulated inside cells.

27 Jan 2009

Inflammation worsens danger due to atherosclerosis

Current research suggests that inflammation increases the risk of plaque rupture in atherosclerosis.

23 Jan 2009

Call for rethink of trend to bar smokers from employment

The increasing trend for employers, particularly in the US, to bar smokers from applying for jobs or staying in post should be stopped, until the appropriateness of such policies has been properly evaluated, argue experts in an essay published in Tobacco Control.

21 Jan 2009