Too much cholesterol in the blood, or high blood cholesterol, can be serious. People with high blood cholesterol have a greater chance of getting heart disease. High blood cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms, so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high.
Cognitive decline can begin as early as age 45, warn experts — Research: Timing of onset of cognitive decline: Results from Whitehall II prospective cohort study – The brain’s capacity for memory, reasoning and comprehension skills (cognitive function) can start to deteriorate from age 45. But, previous research suggests that cognitive decline does not begin before the age of 60, but this view is not universally accepted.
Statins may reduce mortality in patients hospitalized with influenza – Taking Statins May Help Flu patients – The two main ways to prevent and control influenza today are annual immunization and antiviral drugs. A team of investigators has found that statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, may offer an additional treatment to complement these approaches and reduce mortality among patients hospitalized with influenza.
Cleveland Clinic researcher reports that evacetrapib can increase HDL (good) cholesterol 128 percent – Researchers at Cleveland Clinic reported that administration of a new drug? evacetrapib ? can dramatically increase HDL (good) cholesterol, while significantly lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol). At the highest tested dosage, the levels of HDL more than doubled.
Sugar-sweetened beverages may increase cardiovascular risk in women – Drinking two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day may expand a woman’s waistline and increase her risk of heart disease and diabetes. In a new study, researchers compared middle-aged and older women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages a day, such as carbonated sodas or flavored waters with added sugar, to women who drank one or less daily.
Diabetes may significantly increase your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – People with diabetes appear to be at a significantly increased risk of developing dementia, revealed by researchers in a recent study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Intensive medical therapy more effective than stenting for preventing a second stroke — Results of NIH-funded clinical trial published in New England Journal of Medicine – Patients at a high risk for a second stroke who received intensive medical treatment had fewer strokes and deaths than patients who received a brain stent in addition to the medical treatment, a large nationwide clinical trial has shown.
Former US President Bill Clinton says he has gone totally vegan – no meat, no dairy, no eggs or even oil. – Former US President Bill Clinton is speaking out about his plant based, heart healthy diet, saying that he believes the vegan regimen or vegan diet is helping to reverse the damage to his heart and blood vessels caused by cardiovascular heart disease.
Depression linked to increased risk of stroke in women – Depressed women may face an increased risk of stroke, according to new research reported in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. A variety of mechanisms may lead depression to cause stroke.
Genetic study shows that low body fat may not lower risk for heart disease and diabetes – Researchers revealed that some people with a specific form of the gene are more likely to have lower percent body fat, but also more likely to develop heart disease and type 2 diabetes, because the gene lowers only the “subcutaneous” fat under the skin, but not the more harmful “visceral” fat that surrounds organs. People with this gene variant are less able to store fat safely under the skin and may, therefore, store fat elsewhere in the body, where it may interfere with normal organ function.
Intensive-Dose Statin Therapy Associated With Increased Risk of Diabetes – Use of intensive-dose statin therapy compared with moderate-dose statin therapy was associated with a higher incidence of new-onset diabetes. An analysis of data from previously published studies indicates that intensive-dose statin therapy is associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes compared with moderate-dose therapy, according to a study in the recent issue of JAMA.
FDA announces new safety recommendations for high-dose simvastatin — Increased risk of muscle injury cited – Patients taking simvastatin 80 mg daily had an increased risk of muscle injury. The risk of muscle injury is highest during the first year of treatment with the 80 mg dose of simvastatin, and is frequently associated with a genetic predisposition for simvastatin-related muscle injury or myopathy.
Super-sticky ‘ultra-bad’ cholesterol revealed in people at high risk of heart disease – Scientists from the University of Warwick have discovered why a newly found form of cholesterol seems to be ‘ultra-bad’, leading to increased risk of heart disease. The discovery could lead to new treatments to prevent heart disease particularly in people with type 2 diabetes and the elderly.
