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.

Hypertension or atrial fibrillation linked to Alzheimer's disease progression

Alzheimer's disease (AD) may progress more rapidly in people with high blood pressure or a form of irregular heartbeat, atrial fibrillation, according to results of a Johns Hopkins study published in the Nov. 6, 2007, issue of Neurology.

6 Nov 2007

Breastfeeding babies offers them long-term heart-health benefits

Breastfed babies are less likely to have certain cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adulthood than their bottle-fed counterparts, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2007.

6 Nov 2007

American women at increased risk of silent coronaries

After examining data from government health surveys undertaken in the United States, researchers say more American women are developing a type of artery disease that raises the risk of death from heart disease and stroke.

5 Nov 2007

New investigational combination pill improves multiple cholesterol disorders

Patients treated with a new investigational combination pill showed significant improvements in cholesterol, triglycerides and other key lipids that lead to heart disease, according to results presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions.

5 Nov 2007

FDA requests recall of True Man Sexual Energy and Energy Max

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration yesterday requested a recall of True Man Sexual Energy Nutrient Capsules and Energy Max Energy Supplement Men's Formula Capsules, illegal drug products that contain potentially harmful, undeclared ingredients.

5 Nov 2007

Prediabetes is a wake up call and a chance for lifestyle changes

New data suggests that 54 million Americans may be on track to develop diabetes within the next 10 years.

2 Nov 2007

New studies add weight to link between pre-eclampsia and heart disease

Two studies, published together on bmj.com, add further weight to the theory that pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular diseases may share common causes or mechanisms.

2 Nov 2007

Family ties determine who gets heart disease

The genetic family ties that bind brothers and sisters also link their risk for developing clogged arteries and having potentially fatal heart attacks, scientists at Johns Hopkins report.

31 Oct 2007

Myths and misunderstandings about bipolar disorder

Portrayals of bipolar disorder seem to be cropping up everywhere -- in the news, in movies, and on television.

31 Oct 2007

Alzheimer's may progress more rapidly in people with high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation

While current medications for Alzheimer's disease are effective for some patients in slowing the rate of AD progression, many patients do not benefit from the treatments or cannot tolerate them, says lead researcher Michelle M. Mielke, Ph.D., of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

31 Oct 2007

Do statins make radiation more effective at curing prostate cancer?

Patients with prostate cancer who receive high-dose radiation treatment and also take statin drugs commonly used to lower cholesterol have a 10 percent higher chance of being cured of their cancer at 10 years after diagnosis (76 percent), compared to those who don't take these medications (66 percent), according to a study presented at a scientific session October 31, 2007, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 49th Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.

29 Oct 2007

Low-density lipoprotein may contribute to vascular diseases

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a transporter of cholesterol, may also contribute to vascular diseases by a previously unidentified mechanism, according to a report published online this week in EMBO reports.

25 Oct 2007

Role of cholesteryl ester hydrolase in reducing heart disease identified

Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have identified the role of a key enzyme called CEH in reducing heart disease, paving the way for new target therapies to reduce plaques in the arteries and perhaps in the future, help predict a patient's susceptibility to heart disease.

24 Oct 2007

Grape seed supplement studied for cardiovascular health benefits

Could some of the natural chemicals found in plants be powerful enough to improve cardiovascular health?

24 Oct 2007

Increased intestinal permeability by exogenous sphingomyelinase

Many signaling molecules involved in the pathogenesis of IBD, such as TNF or IFN, infections with bacteria or viruses and ionizing radiation, may cause an alteration of the lipid composition in the cell membrane by activation of sphingomyelinases (SMases).

24 Oct 2007

What constitutes healthy eating? focus of Harvard Heart Letter

In its first-ever single-topic special issue, the Harvard Heart Letter focuses on nutrition.

24 Oct 2007

Trial of an individualized menopause decision aid

Being aware of the health risks associated with treating menopausal symptoms might only make it harder for women to decide what to do.

24 Oct 2007

Breakfast cereal helps prevent heart failure

New research suggests that men who eat more whole grain breakfast cereals reduce their risk of heart failure.

23 Oct 2007

Whole grain breakfast cereals may reduce risk of heart failure in men

Men who consume a higher amount of whole grain breakfast cereals may have a reduced risk of heart failure, according to a report in the October 22 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

22 Oct 2007

Scale back on weight obsession, urges obesity expert

"We need to change how we look at obesity, stop obsessing on weight and BMI and, above all, redefine the proper clinical use of weight loss drugs," says noted obesity expert Dr. Jean-Pierre Després, delivering the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Lecture at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2007.

22 Oct 2007