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The largest analysis to examine the best way to lower levels of "bad" cholesterol in patients with blocked arteries shows that they should immediately be given a combination of a statin and another drug called ezetimibe, rather than statins alone. This could prevent thousands of deaths a year from heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases. The meta-analysis of 108,353 patients in 14 studies who were at very high risk of suffering heart attack or stroke, or who had already suffered one of these cardiovascular events shows that when ezetimibe was combined with a high dose statin to reduce levels...

A team sheds new light on the role of marine-source omega-3 supplementation in treating adipose tissue inflammation and reducing the risk for cardiometabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes. The study reveals that subjects with high numbers of blood low density lipoproteins (LDL)—commonly known as "bad cholesterol"—have higher inflammation in their adipose tissue than those with low LDL. The team also demonstrated that, in subjects with high blood LDL, adipose tissue inflammation was associated with abnormalities in carbohydrate (sugar) and fat metabolism that increase the risk for type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, the study revealed that fish-oil omega-3 supplementation was effective in...

Nick Norwitz, a doctorate student at Harvard University, found that contrary to the beliefs of many experts, his cholesterol levels actually dropped. After the month-long experiment that saw him eat the equivalent of 24 eggs per day his low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, or 'bad' cholesterol, fell by 18 percent. Experts have demonized cholesterol in eggs for decades, warning that eating them may cause a surge in LDL levels and raise the risk of complications. Dr Norwitz has a PhD in human brain metabolism from the University of Oxford and is completing his medical doctorate at Harvard University.

A team of health and nutrition specialists has found that people on a ketogenic diet may experience an increase in LDL cholesterol levels, higher apolipoprotein B levels and reductions in certain gut bacteria. In their study, volunteers went on a ketogenic diet for a month so the researchers could study its impact on their bodies. A ketogenic diet consists of a drastic reduction in consumption of carbohydrates, replacing them with fats. In this new effort, the research team suspected that the diet may also lead to increases in LDL cholesterol levels and possibly other problems. To find out if that...

Americans nibble their way through more than 3 million tons of chocolate each year, savoring the aromatic bitterness that only the seeds of the cacao plant can deliver. To make the signature flavor palatable as a sweet treat, chocolate manufacturers combine a paste made from cacao seeds with sugar. Lots and lots of sugar – often enough to rival all the other ingredients combined, in fact. Together with significant amounts of saturated fatty acids, provided by the addition of cocoa butter from the fruit, the few health benefits provided by the chocolate bean are swamped by ingredients that increase the...

NATIONAL GERMAN CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY On June 11 we celebrate the delicious food holiday known as National German Chocolate Cake Day! We can't think of a better way to learn about a cake with American roots and get our chocolate fix for the day at the same time! #GermanChocolateCakeDay Although the name may sound like the cake originated in Germany, German chocolate cake did not. In fact, the cake's roots can be traced back to 1852 when American Sam German made a type of dark baking chocolate for the American Baker’s Chocolate Company. Baker’s German Sweet Chocolate’s brand was named...

Pfizer’s cholesterol-lowering statin drug Lipitor is one of the most profitable medications of all time. Globally, the lucrative statin market is projected to reach $32 billion by 2032. Yet, for years, there have been published studies reporting that statin drugs lead to profound memory loss and diabetes, and, overall, are entirely worthless. As such, the studies have supplied the basis for reevaluating the guidelines for prescribing statins and theories on cholesterol in general. After all, cholesterol is essential to the human body—if you had none, you would be dead. The studies have likewise questioned why more focus isn’t put on...

The Japanese scientist whose pioneering work led to the creation of statins, the life-saving drugs used by millions, has died at the age of 90. Akira Endo's pivotal work has been likened to the discovery of penicillin. The biochemist is said to have been inspired by Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin, prompting him to study mould, or fungi, in his quest to find new medicines. In 1973, Prof Endo found the first cholesterol-lowering compound able to reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.

Alternate day fasting (ADF) has gained growing attention due to its dramatic effects on improving disordered metabolic parameters. However, the effects of ADF on atherosclerotic plaque formation remain inconsistent and controversial in atherosclerotic animal models. Using atherogenic mice, scientists have worked jointly and reported that ADF aggravated Western diet (WD)–induced atherosclerotic lesion formation, and they also validated that such effects were mediated by inhibiting the expression of hepatic activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) under ADF intervention. The findings suggest the potentially harmful effects when ADF intervention is applied to the population at high risk of atherosclerosis. In this study, 11-week-old...

Researchers have unveiled crucial insights into the factors that might influence Intervertebral Disk Degeneration (IDD). IDD is a predominant cause of lower back pain, impacting millions worldwide. The focus of this research revolved around nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs), pivotal in IDD, and how oxygen levels and the HIF1A gene could influence them. Employing advanced RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), the team meticulously captured a comprehensive transcriptome of NPCs exposed to different oxygen conditions and instances of HIF1A deletion. The study leveraged tissues sourced from patients who had given informed consent before undergoing surgery. The efficacy of HIF1A modifications was authenticated using q-PCR,...

Older people who have higher levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, may have a lower risk of dementia and a slower cognitive decline over time compared to people who have lower levels, according to new research. Researchers used health care data to identify 18,294 people in one cohort with an average age of 75 who did not have a prior diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease or dementia. Participants were followed for an average of six years. Researchers looked at participants' measurements of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and HDL each year of the study. Then they divided the participants into four...

Obesity often involves hyperlipidemia (high concentrations of fats/lipids in the blood), diabetes, hypertension, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, which increase susceptibility to CVD. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is a nanoparticle that transports cholesterol in blood. Cholesterol, which is good in moderation, is essential for normal cellular function. "Our results showed that in obesity, it is not the quantity but the quality of LDL that contributes to disease: 'bad cholesterol' becomes worse due to obesity-associated inflammation. As a result, cholesterol delivery is shifted from normal to abnormal, so more cholesterol is retained in the arterial wall, ultimately forming plaques that occlude the...

Patients who have suffered a heart attack should immediately be offered a combination of cholesterol lowering drugs with statins and ezetimibe, according to research. The study showed that people with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), which includes those who have experienced a heart attack or unstable angina, are 47% less likely to die within three years if they start taking a high dose statin and ezetimibe straight away, compared to those only taking a high dose statin. Researchers say that if treatment guidelines are changed to reflect these findings, it could prevent many thousands of deaths each year. The study included...

Whole body cryostimulation is a useful "add-on" treatment for obesity, research suggests. Levels of cholesterol and other blood fats improved twice as much in individuals, compared with individuals given a sham treatment. Those who had whole body cryostimulation (WBC) also experienced a greater reduction in waist circumference and in blood sugar levels. 29 participants (12 men and 17 women, BMI >30 kg/m2) were non-randomly allocated either to a group receiving 10 2-min WBC sessions at minus 110°C in a cryochamber over two weeks (WBC) or a control group receiving the same intervention at non-cryostimulating temperatures of minus 55°C (SHAM). Triglycerides,...

In a new large, comprehensive analysis that looked at data from more than 5 million patients, the Martin/Hopkins method developed by Johns Hopkins researchers to calculate low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol—so-called bad cholesterol—produces higher accuracy rates than the nearly two dozen other available equations. The findings reveal that overall, the Martin/Hopkins algorithm correctly classified 89.6% of patients' LDL cholesterol values, followed by the Sampson method, which correctly classified 86.3%. The previous gold standard of testing LDL cholesterol levels, the Friedewald method, correctly classified 83.2% of patients. An even larger advantage of the Martin/Hopkins algorithm was seen over other methods for patients...

A real-world, retrospective analysis by the Family Heart Foundation, a leading non-profit research and advocacy organization, found that high-risk Americans who do not maintain levels of LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) recommended in the 2018 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol treatment guidelines, had a 44% higher rate of cardiovascular events compared to those who did achieve and maintained recommended LDL-C levels. The study findings were based on data from the Family Heart Database of more than 300 million Americans. "This real-world evaluation shows how important it is for people at high risk for cardiovascular events to get the care they need...

Blood levels of HDL, the famously "good" kind of cholesterol, may not make a big difference to heart health after all -- particularly for Black people, a large new study suggests. The study, of nearly 24,000 U.S. adults, found that low HDL levels were tied to a somewhat higher risk of heart attack among White people. That was not the case for Black adults, however. Meanwhile, high HDL levels -- traditionally lauded as heart-healthy -- made no difference in heart risks for Black or White adults. Experts said the findings call for a reevaluation of how HDL is used to...

Adding cranberries to your diet could help improve memory and brain function, and lower 'bad' cholesterol—according to new research. A new study published today highlights the neuroprotective potential of cranberries. The research team studied the benefits of consuming the equivalent of a cup of cranberries a day among 50 to 80-year-olds. "Past studies have shown that higher dietary flavonoid intake is associated with slower rates of cognitive decline and dementia. "Cranberries are rich in these micronutrients and have been recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The research team investigated the impact of eating cranberries for 12 weeks on brain...

New research from RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences has revealed that the link between 'bad' cholesterol (LDL-C) and poor health outcomes, such as heart attack and stroke, may not be as strong as previously thought. Published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the research questions the efficacy of statins when prescribed with the aim of lowering LDL-C and therefore reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Previous research has suggested that using statins to lower LDL-C positively affects health outcomes, and this is reflected in the various iterations of expert guidelines for the prevention of CVD. Statins are now commonly...

An antioxidant drug reverses atherosclerosis and could be used to prevent heart attacks and strokes due to clots. Atherosclerosis is the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. When a type of fat called LDL cholesterol becomes oxidized and builds up to form plaques in the artery walls, inflammation and damage increase which can cause the plaques to rupture and cause blood to clot. These clots can block vital arteries that allow blood to flow to the heart, causing a heart attack, or to the brain causing a stroke. Previously, researchers at the University of Reading discovered that LDL cholesterol...