Hypercholesterolemia News and Research

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Hypercholesterolemia is a condition characterized by very high levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is produced in the body and obtained from foods that come from animals (particularly egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products). The body needs this substance to build cell membranes, make certain hormones, and produce compounds that aid in fat digestion. Too much cholesterol, however, increases a person's risk of developing heart disease.

People with hypercholesterolemia have a high risk of developing a form of heart disease called coronary artery disease. This condition occurs when excess cholesterol in the bloodstream is deposited in the walls of blood vessels, particularly in the arteries that supply blood to the heart (coronary arteries). The abnormal buildup of cholesterol forms clumps (plaque) that narrow and harden artery walls. As the clumps get bigger, they can clog the arteries and restrict the flow of blood to the heart. The buildup of plaque in coronary arteries causes a form of chest pain called angina and greatly increases a person's risk of having a heart attack.

Inherited forms of hypercholesterolemia can also cause health problems related to the buildup of excess cholesterol in other tissues. If cholesterol accumulates in tendons, it causes characteristic growths called tendon xanthomas. These growths most often affect the Achilles tendons and tendons in the hands and fingers. Yellowish cholesterol deposits under the skin of the eyelids are known as xanthelasmata. Cholesterol can also accumulate at the edges of the clear, front surface of the eye (the cornea), leading to a gray-colored ring called an arcus cornealis.

Study: Cholesterol uptake is decreased in GM3S-deficient cells

Approximately 1 in every 4 deaths in the United States is caused by heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

21 Dec 2018

Lifting weights for less than an hour a week may reduce cardiovascular disease risk

Lifting weights for less than an hour a week may reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke by 40 to 70 percent, according to a new Iowa State University study. Spending more than an hour in the weight room did not yield any additional benefit, the researchers found.

13 Nov 2018

Cholesterol control revised in the latest AHA/ACC guidelines

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have released their latest 121 page guidelines on risk assessment and management of high cholesterol for people who are at a greater risk of heart attacks or strokes.

11 Nov 2018

FDA approves LORBRENA for treatment of patients with ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC

Pfizer Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved LORBRENA, a third-generation anaplastic lymphoma kinase tyrosine kinase inhibitor for patients with ALK-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has progressed on crizotinib and at least one other ALK inhibitor for metastatic disease; or whose disease has progressed on alectinib or ceritinib as the first ALK inhibitor therapy for metastatic disease.

5 Nov 2018

Researchers use genome editing to reduce cholesterol levels in animal model

Using genome editing to inactivate a protein called PCSK9 effectively reduces cholesterol levels in rhesus macaques, a species of monkey, according to researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

10 Jul 2018

Are you and your primary care doc ready to talk about your DNA?

If you have a genetic mutation that increases your risk for a treatable medical condition, would you want to know? For many people the answer is yes. But such information is not commonly part of routine primary care.

22 May 2018

Study shows testosterone deficiency in men is associated with chronic diseases

A male's total testosterone level may be linked to more than just sexual health and muscle mass preservation, a new study finds. Low amounts of the hormone could also be associated with chronic disease, even among men 40 years of age and younger.

19 Apr 2018

Study finds low treatment rates for people with elevated cholesterol levels

Less than 40 percent of people with severe elevations in cholesterol are being prescribed appropriate drug treatment, according to a nationally representative study reported in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation.

26 Mar 2018

CRISPR-like gene editing could be potential way to treat patients with harmful blood lipid levels

Using a variation of CRISPR gene editing may be a potential strategy for mimicking the protective effects of a genetic mutation linked to lower cholesterol levels and heart disease risks, according to new mouse research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania published this week in Circulation.

28 Feb 2018

Study reveals how carbohydrate-restricted diet improves metabolism

New details about how a carbohydrate-restricted diet improves metabolism were revealed in a study published today, which could lead to improved treatments for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

15 Feb 2018

Sex steroid hormone fluctuations may have direct effects on eye physiology and AMD

Gender-based differences may influence several ocular conditions, suggesting that fluctuations in sex steroid homeostasis may have direct effects on eye physiology and the pathogenesis of conditions like Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

18 Jan 2018

Polygenic risk score predicts early-onset heart disease risk

A risk score based on multiple genetic differences, or polygenic risk score, predicted significantly more cases of early-onset heart disease than standard tests for single genetic defects, according to new research in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine.

8 Jan 2018

Nanoparticles carrying CRISPR gene editing tools for genetic modifications

Researchers from MIT have now developed nanoparticles that could carry CRISPR genetic editing systems deep within the cells and perform their functions on the DNA. The paper was published in the November issue of Nature Biotechnology.

14 Nov 2017

Junk genes could one day offer framework for treating people with familial hypercholesterolemia

Scientists from UCLA and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute successfully used a gene that suppresses cholesterol levels as part of a treatment to reduce plaque in mice with a disorder called familial hypercholesterolemia.

26 Aug 2017

Study: Liver inflammation increases cholesterol levels in people with diabetes

Inflammatory processes in the liver lead to elevated cholesterol levels in people with diabetes, thus promoting subsequent vascular diseases. This is the result of a study by scientists of Helmholtz Zentrum München, Technische Universität München and the Collaborative Research Center SFB 1118 at Heidelberg University Hospital.

14 Aug 2017

PCSK9 Inhibitors: Highlights barriers to new, breakthrough cholesterol-lowering drugs

Today the Partnership to Advance Cardiovascular Health released a new web video, “PCSK9 Inhibitors: Access Barriers Affect Real People” The video, featuring patient testimonials, explores access issues to new, breakthrough cholesterol-lowering drugs known as PCSK9 inhibitors.

3 May 2017

Researchers solve medical mystery through genetics

Researchers have identified the genetic mutation responsible for one patient's serious health problems, finally solving a medical mystery that has endured for over 30 years.

6 Apr 2017

Amgen, UCB present romosozumab Phase 2 results at ENDO 2017

Amgen and UCB today announced results from the fourth year of a Phase 2 study showing the efficacy and safety of a second course of treatment with EVENITY™* (romosozumab), an investigational agent for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.

3 Apr 2017

Novel synthetic HDL-C injection shows no benefit on arterial plaques

Injection of a novel form of synthetic high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), or good cholesterol, into the arteries of patients who had recently had a heart attack did not reduce the volume of fatty deposits, or plaque, in the arteries, compared with placebo injections, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's 66th Annual Scientific Session.

20 Mar 2017

UAB researchers developing new peptide that may help combat familial hypercholesterolemia

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham are developing and testing a new peptide that they hope will lead to better treatment options for familial hypercholesterolemia.

22 Feb 2017