High Cholesterol

A team lead by UCSF medical researchers has discovered a new disorder that can cause severely elevated blood cholesterol levels and may affect several hundred thousand people in the U.S. and Europe to varying degrees. The malady is caused by a single gene defect.

A study reports that muscle problems reported by patients taking statins were related to the strength or potency of the given cholesterol-lowering drugs.

Individuals in a prediabetic state who were treated with the oral medication pioglitazone were 81 percent less likely to convert to diabetes than those who received a placebo.

Within the medical field, it is often assumed that patients view cholesterol-lowering medications (or statins) as a license to eat whatever they like - they figure their medication has them covered, so a steak here and there won't hurt.

NCEP suggests that people at risk for heart attack and stroke would benefit from more intensive cholesterol-lowering therapies.

Farm-raised tilapia has very low levels of beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and very high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. The combination could be potentially dangerous for some patients with heart disease, arthritis, asthma and other allergic and auto-immune diseases.

Report suggests that aggressively pursuing low blood pressure and cholesterol levels may not benefit, and could even harm, some patients with diabetes.

Niacin, a medication once discouraged for the treatment of lipid abnormalities in patients with diabetes, has the potential ability, when given in low doses, to be well-tolerated and effective.

Study shows maintaining a healthy weight in children may be one good way for them to keep a healthy blood lipid profile and grow up with a happy heart.

Scientists in Japan have shown that this waste product of rice processing, called rice bran, significantly lowers blood pressure in rats whose hypertension resembles that of humans.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the first generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb's Pravachol (Pravastatin Sodium Tablets).

Insulin resistance in brain cells can affect how they function, causing some of the biochemical changes typically seen in Alzheimer's disease.

The effect of a high-fat meal on blood vessel walls can vary among individuals depending on factors such as their waist size and triglyceride levels.

Researchers have identified a potential target for the development of new therapies to treat hypertriglyceridemia, a lipid disorder commonly seen in people who are obese and diabetic.

Phenolic compounds in olive oil, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties, may explain cardiovascular health benefits associated with the so-called Mediterranean Diet, according to a new study.

Research has shed new light on the role that cholesterol plays in causing heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events in humans.