Interventions Can Reduce CVD Risk Factors in HIV Patients, Studies Show
DENVER — Efforts aimed at lowering blood pressure (BP) and cholesterol in people with HIV can succeed, two randomized trials presented here demonstrated. In the first, prehypertensive Haitians on stable antiretroviral therapy (ART) who received early treatment with a calcium channel blocker experienced significantly greater reductions in systolic and diastolic BP compared with those who […]
Prenatal Fentanyl Exposure Suspected in Novel Syndrome
A possible link between a novel cholesterol metabolism disorder and prenatal fentanyl exposure is under investigation. The hypothesis is that prenatal fentanyl exposure possibly interferes with cholesterol metabolism, leading to findings resembling Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) in 10 infants. However, Erica Fernandes, DO, a clinical geneticist at Nemours Children’s Health in Wilmington, Delaware, and study co-authors […]
High cholesterol caused by childhood sedentariness could be reversed with light physical activity
Increased sedentary time in childhood can raise cholesterol levels by two thirds as an adult, leading to heart problems and even premature death — but a new study has found light physical activity may completely reverse the risks and is far more effective than moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The study was conducted in collaboration between the […]
Ground-breaking discovery could pave the way for new therapies to prevent cardiovascular disease and stroke
Researchers at the University of Leicester have discovered the mechanism by which cholesterol in our diet is absorbed into our cells. This discovery, which has just been published in the journal Science opens up new opportunities for therapeutic intervention to control cholesterol uptake that could complement other therapies and potentially save lives. The research, conducted […]
Dementia Tied to Fluctuations in Blood Lipids Over Time
Fluctuations in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people 60 and older were tied to a higher risk of incident dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, a longitudinal study showed. Over a median follow-up of 12.9 years, participants in the highest quintile of total cholesterol variability versus the lowest quintile had a 19% increased risk of incident […]
Polypill Tested for Cognitive, Functional Benefits
Reducing blood pressure and cholesterol in the TIPS-3 trial with a polypill, with or without aspirin, showed no protective effect on cognition in older adults with cardiovascular disease risk factors, a secondary analysis showed. During a 5-year follow-up, about the same number of trial participants in TIPS-3 experienced substantive cognitive decline in both the treatment […]
School garden-based interventions can improve blood sugar, reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol in children
School garden-based interventions can improve metabolic parameters such as blood sugar and cholesterol in children, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston. A cluster randomized controlled trial conducted by researchers with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health and The University of Texas at Austin found that Texas Sprouts — a gardening, nutrition, and cooking […]
Vitamin D fails to reduce statin-associated muscle pain: Study is the first placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial to study this
Patients who take statins to lower high cholesterol levels often complain of muscle pains, which can lead them to stop taking the highly effective medication and put them at greater risk of heart attack or stroke. Some clinicians have recommended vitamin D supplements to ease the muscle aches of patients taking a statin, but a […]
Dietary cholesterol worsens inflammation, sickness in mice with influenza
New research from the University of Illinois suggests high levels of dietary cholesterol make mice sicker when infected with influenza. The study is the first to link cholesterol in the diet with exacerbation of a viral infection. Previously, scientists linked high-fat diets and elevated blood cholesterol with increased susceptibility to infection and lowered immune response. […]
Hormonal changes during menopause are directly related to decline in cardiovascular health
Levels of bad cholesterol rise during menopause, and 10% of this increase is due to shifts in sex hormones. That’s the finding of research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC. Women usually undergo menopause at the age of 48 to 52 years, leading to a decline in […]