All posts tagged: Cholesterol

Is it true that … only overweight people are at risk of high cholesterol? | Health & wellbeing

Is it true that … only overweight people are at risk of high cholesterol? | Health & wellbeing

Published by Sam Flores

Cholesterol, a fatty substance mostly made by the liver and used by the body to build cells and produce hormones, has become a heart-health bogeyman. There are several types, but high levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Often labelled “bad” cholesterol, LDL builds up over time on artery walls, narrowing them and restricting blood flow. High LDL cholesterol is not confined to people who are overweight. “Genetics are the main driver of higher LDL cholesterol levels,” says Naveed Sattar, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow. “Diets have smaller effects and it’s not necessarily the total calories that count; it’s the amount of saturated fat.” (Found in cakes, biscuits, chocolate and many ultra-processed foods, saturated fat can raise LDL levels.) All of this means someone relatively lean can still have high cholesterol, either because of their genetic profile or dietary pattern. double quotation mark Cardiovascular risk is not just about LDL – factors such as blood pressure, diabetes and weight all play a part “Obesity …

To lower cholesterol, these patients got a one-time tweak to their genes

To lower cholesterol, these patients got a one-time tweak to their genes

Published by Sam Flores

Christos Soteriou was 29 when he needed a quadruple bypass surgery. Four arteries in his heart had become so clogged with plaque that blood could no longer flow through them. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. It’s a surprisingly young age to need such a surgery, but extremely high levels of cholesterol run in Soteriou’s family — a genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia. His father died of heart disease at 46; his son was diagnosed with elevated cholesterol at 14; and Soteriou himself, now 51, has had two heart attacks since his operation. Christos Soteriou with his son Jade. Soteriou has familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetic condition that causes extremely high cholesterol levels. Courtesy Jade Soteriou He’s tried statins and a newer drug, Repatha, to lower his cholesterol, but nothing worked. So, when the opportunity came to join an early-stage clinical trial investigating a cutting-edge way to lower dangerously high cholesterol with a one-time treatment, he jumped at the chance. “I wasn’t too worried, because I’ll try …

New guidelines warn Americans need to start taking cholesterol levels seriously in their 30s

New guidelines warn Americans need to start taking cholesterol levels seriously in their 30s

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Americans as young as 30 should be taking action on their cholesterol, according to updated guidelines from the country’s leading cardiologists. An estimated 25 percent of American adults have high levels of the fat-like substance, LDL cholesterol, which raises the chance they will develop heart disease – the cause of 900,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. High levels can also lead to other life-threatening issues like heart attack or stroke. The guidelines, updated every 5-8 years by the American College of Cardiology, aim to reduce heart disease deaths – the fourth highest in the world per capita – and help Americans live longer. The recommendations were last updated in 2018. People should have cholesterol screening at younger ages, the doctors wrote. They also recommended that more people take cholesterol-lowering medication as only about half the individuals eligible are currently doing …

New treatment could lower liver fat, improve blood sugar control, and reduce cholesterol

New treatment could lower liver fat, improve blood sugar control, and reduce cholesterol

Published by Jenni Sidey

A diagnosis of serious liver disease can feel like a slow countdown. Scar tissue builds quietly, the liver stiffens, and the risks climb toward cancer, heart attack, stroke, and even transplant. Now, researchers at McMaster University say a new drug candidate may be able to do what today’s care often cannot; stop liver scarring and even reverse it in preclinical studies. The work was led by McMaster professor Greg Steinberg in collaboration with Espervita Therapeutics and researchers in the United States, France, and Australia. The team focused on liver fibrosis, a dangerous buildup of scar tissue that can follow metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, also known as MASH. This condition often appears in people living with obesity or metabolic illness, including type 2 diabetes. If the early findings hold up in humans, the research points toward a treatment that could lower liver fat, improve blood sugar control, reduce cholesterol, and address scarring at the same time. That combination targets a major gap in care, especially in Canada, where the researchers say no drugs are approved to treat …

Four foods that could improve your cholesterol and boost heart health

Four foods that could improve your cholesterol and boost heart health

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free Cholesterol has long been seen as a key culprit in cardiovascular disease. While it’s true that cholesterol does play a role, not all cholesterol is bad for us. There are two main types of cholesterol. The first type is low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. This is often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol because it causes fat to collect in the arteries as plaques. This makes it harder for blood to pump throughout the body, leading to greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. The second type is high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — often referred to as “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol has two key roles in the body. It removes excess bad cholesterol from the tissues and arteries and returns it to the liver so it can be removed from the body. HDL cholesterol also protects the artery walls so there’s less risk of …

Can red wine help lower your cholesterol? Here’s the science

Can red wine help lower your cholesterol? Here’s the science

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Cholesterol has long been seen as a key culprit in cardiovascular disease. While it’s true that cholesterol does play a role, not all cholesterol is bad for us. There are two main types of cholesterol. The first type is low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. This is often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol because it causes fat to collect in the arteries as plaques. This makes it harder for blood to pump throughout the body, leading to greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. The second type is high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol — often referred to as “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol has two key roles in the body. It removes excess bad cholesterol from the tissues and arteries and returns it to the liver so it can be removed from the body. HDL cholesterol also protects the artery walls so …

Studies Test Whether Gene-Editing Can Fix High Cholesterol. for Now, Take Your Medicine

Studies Test Whether Gene-Editing Can Fix High Cholesterol. for Now, Take Your Medicine

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists are testing an entirely new way to fight heart disease: a gene-editing treatment that might offer a one-time fix for high cholesterol. It’s very early stage research, tried in only a few dozen people so far. But gene-editing approaches being developed by two companies show hints that switching off certain genes could dramatically lower artery-clogging cholesterol, raising hopes of one day being able to prevent heart attacks without having to take pills. “People want a fix, not a bandage,” said Dr. Luke Laffin, a preventive cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. After co-authoring a promising study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, he said he was flooded with queries about how to participate in the next clinical trial. Everyone needs a certain amount of cholesterol. But too much, especially a “bad” kind called LDL cholesterol, builds plaque in the artery walls and is a main driver of heart attacks and strokes. Cardiovascular disease is the nation’s — and world’s — leading killer. Millions take cholesterol-lowering medicines such as statins, the …

Once-daily pill called enlicitide lowers bad cholesterol levels by 60%

Once-daily pill called enlicitide lowers bad cholesterol levels by 60%

Published by Jenni Sidey

A new experimental pill may soon change how you lower cholesterol. Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report that an oral drug called enlicitide cut levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol by nearly 60% in a large clinical trial. The findings were published in The New England Journal of Medicine and could lead to a simpler way to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The clinical trial was led by Dr. Ann Marie Navar, an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and the Department of Public Health. The clinical trial was funded by Merck and involved nearly 3,000 adults at high risk for heart disease. According to Navar, “Currently less than half of patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease are able to reach their LDL cholesterol goals. With an oral agent that has proven this to be so effective, we now have a vehicle that can significantly help us prevent both heart attacks and strokes in the general population.” Ann Marie Navar, M.D., Ph.D., is a cardiologist and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine …

Two day oat-based diet significantly lowers bad cholesterol, study finds

Two day oat-based diet significantly lowers bad cholesterol, study finds

Published by Jenni Sidey

A new study led by Mary Christine Simon at the Institute for Nutrition and Food Science at Bonn University has shown that consuming a very low calorie and concentrated oat diet over a short period of time can significantly lower the amount of LDL cholesterol, which is known as bad cholesterol, in individuals who have metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome includes excess body weight, high blood pressure, high blood glucose, and abnormal cholesterol levels. In addition to providing a source of soluble fiber, the study showed that oats also changed gut bacteria and their metabolic by-products. The participants were placed on a strict diet that was predominantly made up of oatmeal for two days. This resulted in a significant decrease in their LDL cholesterol levels, approximately 10 percent, during the diet and six weeks after the diet intervention. Historically, oats were famously used for many years in the treatment of diabetes. In the early 1900s, a German doctor named Karl von Norden used oat-based diets to successfully treat diabetics. Dr. Simon states, “Now with advancements in …

The affordable ingredient that can lower cholesterol and boost heart health

The affordable ingredient that can lower cholesterol and boost heart health

Published by Daniella Wilson

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley‑Whittingstall and Tom Kerridge have backed a new campaign that is putting the spotlight on beans. The Bang In Some Beans campaign is a bid to double the UK’s intake of beans, legumes and pulses by 2028. Such a campaign is long overdue. Despite beans on toast being a British favourite, beans, pulses and legumes remain under-consumed in the UK. According to data from the Food Foundation, two-thirds of the UK population eat less than one portion of beans a week. Beans are one of the most affordable and nutritious foods out there. With food costs continuing to rise and poor nutrition contributing to a growing number of diseases, beans may offer a solution to both problems. Encouraging greater bean consumption could also help close the …