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.

Blood HDL cholesterol levels influence association of alcohol intake with blood pressure in young men

A large new Japanese study suggests that middle-aged men who drink heavily could see their blood pressure rise, regardless of whether their levels of "good" cholesterol also go up.

28 Aug 2007

Cholesterol-lowering statins may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's

Researchers in the United States say they believe cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's.

28 Aug 2007

Study looks at salsalate for type 2 diabetes

The University of Illinois at Chicago is one of 16 sites in the United States taking part in the first large-scale study to test a promising approach to lowering blood glucose levels in adults with type 2 diabetes.

24 Aug 2007

Good cholesterol may be a bad guy after all!

Scientists are warning that the good cholesterol (HDL) known for it's ability to protect against heart disease, can turn nasty.

22 Aug 2007

Women ignorant on cholesterol numbers

Adult women are more than twice as likely to know how much they weighed in high school as they are to know their current cholesterol number, and only half of women have had their cholesterol tested in the past year, according to the results of a nationwide survey released today.

22 Aug 2007

Study finds women more likely to know high school weight than cholesterol numbers

21 Aug 2007

What's making you fat? - the answer could be a virus!

According to researchers in the U.S. a common virus (adenovirus-36), that causes throat and eye infections may play a part in obesity.

21 Aug 2007

PET MPI provides a more accurate "picture" of coronary obstruction

Physicians need to know how badly heart vessels are blocked before they can decide how to treat patients at risk of having a heart attack.

17 Aug 2007

New findings on cholesterol metabolism

A team of researchers investigating cholesterol and lipid transport has performed experiments that cast serious doubt on the dominant hypothesis of how the body rids its cells of "bad" cholesterol (LDL) and increases "good" cholesterol (HDL).

17 Aug 2007

Caution urged on use of drugs to raise "good" cholesterol

With 40 percent of all heart attacks and related cardiovascular problems occurring in people who have low levels of so-called "good" cholesterol, researchers have long sought medications to increase the amount of this type of cholesterol in the body's circulation.

16 Aug 2007

Walk even a little to lower blood pressure!

Even low levels of weekly exercise drive down blood pressure and boost overall fitness, suggests a small study in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

16 Aug 2007

LifeCycle Pharma and Sciele Pharma announce FDA approval of new formulation of Fenofibrate

LifeCycle Pharma and Sciele Pharma announce FDA approval of fenofibrate in 120 mg. and 40 mg. dosage strengths. Sciele Pharma expects U.S. market launch by the end of 2007.

13 Aug 2007

Scientists take plumber's approach to Alzheimer's

Scientists are trying a plumber's approach to rid the brain of the amyloid buildup that plagues Alzheimer's patients: Simply drain the toxic protein away.

13 Aug 2007

FDA warns against use of red yeast rice products promoted as high cholesterol treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to buy or eat three red yeast rice products promoted and sold on Web sites.

12 Aug 2007

Thyroid disease: Understanding hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism

Doctors often mistake the symptoms of thyroid disease for another disorder such as heart failure, high cholesterol, or even dementia, says a new edition of a report from Harvard Medical School.

11 Aug 2007

FGFR4 gene plays a complex role in obesity, fatty liver and diabetes

Researchers at the Texas A&M Health Science Center Institute of Biosciences and Technology at Houston have found that a gene in the liver and elsewhere in the body, when inhibited or increased, affects fatty liver and diabetes but does not alleviate both diseases at once.

11 Aug 2007

Statins do not protect against prostate cancer

A large community-based study refutes previous findings that statins , a top-selling drug class, worldwide -- might cut one's risk of developing prostate cancer by reducing production of the male hormones that fuel cancer growth.

11 Aug 2007

New player in the control of HDL cholesterol

Researchers have identified a new player in the control of so-called "good" cholesterol that circulates in the bloodstream and reduces heart attack risk, according to a report in the August issue of Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press.

8 Aug 2007

Statin drugs may delay progressive artery damage in children

Starting statin therapy as young as age 8 safely and effectively delays the early artery damage caused by familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), according to a Dutch study reported in the Aug.7th print issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Aug 2007

Omega-3 fatty acids for a health heart

While a heart-healthy diet has become synonymous with plenty of fruits and vegetables and little fat and cholesterol, there's more to the story. Omega-3 fatty acids should be part of a heart-healthy diet, too, according to the August issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

7 Aug 2007