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.

Diabetics have same risk for heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular diseases

People with diabetes have the same high risk for heart attack or stroke or cardiovascular death as people who've already had a heart attack, researchers reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

1 Apr 2008

Middle-age spread a potent predictor of dementia

According to a new study overweight or obese people are at an increased risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

31 Mar 2008

Study shows that a larger abdomen in midlife increases risk of dementia

People in their 40s with larger stomachs have a higher risk for dementia when they reach their 70s, according to a study published in the March 26, 2008, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology .

28 Mar 2008

Cardiovascular and metabolic issues in patients with thyroid dysfunction

Thyroid experts will present the latest information on cardiovascular and metabolic issues in patients with thyroid disorders, including those who have an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), at a day-long scientific meeting on Friday, March 28, 2008 at the Marriott Metro Center in Washington, DC.

26 Mar 2008

Severe psoriasis linked to serious medical conditions including cardiovascular disease, depression and cancer

It has long been known that psoriasis, a chronic skin condition characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed, can have a significant negative impact on a patient's overall quality of life.

25 Mar 2008

Cholesterol-associated gene variants can predict cardiovascular events

A study appearing in this week's New England Journal of Medicine confirms that a combination of gene variants previously associated with cholesterol levels does reflect patients' cholesterol levels and can signify increased risk of heart attack, stroke or sudden cardiac death.

20 Mar 2008

Vegan diet for rheumatoid arthritis patients protects from heart attacks and strokes

A new study suggests that following a gluten-free, vegan diet may offer rheumatoid arthritis patients some protection from heart attacks and strokes.

19 Mar 2008

HDL-associated protein gene linked to heart disease risk

The gene for the HDL-associated protein paraoxonase 1 (PON1) appears to be associated with coronary artery disease and with the risk of developing adverse cardiac events, and variations in both the PON1 gene and its related enzyme activity may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease events, according to a study in the March 19 issue of JAMA , a theme issue on Genetics and Genomics.

19 Mar 2008

An anti-inflammatory response to the vegan diet

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who eat a gluten-free vegan diet could be better protected against heart attacks and stroke.

18 Mar 2008

Wine harder on the brain than beer

Scientists say wine damages the brain more than beer or spirits, because it particularly affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memory and spatial awareness.

17 Mar 2008

Gene network disrupted by obesity

According to new research an entire network of genes in the body is disrupted by overeating and this not only causes obesity, but also diabetes and heart disease.

17 Mar 2008

Genes that protect against atherosclerosis identified

One way of combating atherosclerosis is to reduce levels of “bad cholesterol” in the blood. Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have now identified the genes that bring about this beneficial effect.

17 Mar 2008

How diabetes drives atherosclerosis

Researchers have discovered how diabetes, by driving inflammation and slowing blood flow, dramatically accelerates atherosclerosis, according to research to be published in the March 14 edition of the journal Circulation Research. Experts once believed that atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, developed when too much cholesterol clogged arteries with fatty deposits called plaques.

14 Mar 2008

Just a 10% reduction in bad cholesterol could save 3,000 Australian lives each year

New research has revealed that a ten percent lowering of 'bad' LDL cholesterol could save nearly 3,000 Australian lives each year.

13 Mar 2008

Caring for a family member with a serious heart ailment may increase your risk of cardiac disease

Researchers examined heart risk factors in family members of cardiac patients and found that those who provided all or most of a patient's care had higher levels of risk factors for heart disease than non-caregivers and those who reported higher caregiver strain after six months were more likely to be depressed than those who provided less or no care.

13 Mar 2008

Maintaining weight loss long term is possible with group sessions

People who shed weight and want to keep it off might benefit from monthly personal contact interventions, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism.

12 Mar 2008

UT Southwestern offers free educational sessions on weight-loss surgery

UT Southwestern Medical Center is now offering free monthly education sessions for potential patients interested in weight-loss surgery.

12 Mar 2008

Warnings over DIY health tests

Leading health experts in Britain have expressed their concern about the boom in tests and scans for the "worried well".

12 Mar 2008

Personal counseling and web-based strategies show modest success for sustaining weight loss

Adults who lost weight in a six-month program were able to keep at least some of the weight off for 2.5 years with the help of brief monthly personal counseling, according to a new study from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health. A Web-based intervention also helped participants keep the weight off for two years, but the benefit waned during the last six months of the trial

11 Mar 2008

Magnesium linked to lower risk for some strokes in male smokers

Male smokers who consume more magnesium appear to have a lower risk for cerebral infarction, a type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked, according to a report in the March 10 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

11 Mar 2008