The cardiovascular risk that is associated with proteinuria, or high levels of protein in the urine, a common test used by doctors as an indicator of increased risk for progressive kidney disease, heart attack and stroke, has race-dependent effects, according to a new study.
A study found that every hour spent in front of the television per day brings with it an 11 percent greater risk of premature death from all causes, and an 18 percent greater risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. The findings apply to both obese and overweight people as well as people with a healthy weight because prolonged periods of sitting have an unhealthy influence on blood sugar and blood fat levels.
A new study concludes that many doctors appear to have largely ignored a U.S. Food and Drug Administration warning to screen users of new antipsychotic drugs for high blood sugar and cholesterol, which poses risks to their health and raises questions about the efficacy of warning protocols in general.
Scientists have found that a “longevity gene” helps to slow age-related decline in brain function in older adults. Drugs that mimic the gene’s effect are now under development, the researchers note, and could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
Neuroscientists have demonstrated an association among Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome and atherosclerosis. Their research implicates damage inflicted by the amyloid protein as a shared disease mechanism.
New research suggests a family of widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs might help protect individuals from serious illness following bacterial infection, including the pneumococcal infections that pose a deadly threat to those with sickle cell disease.
Researchers have demonstrated that the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway plays a key role in hepatic bile acid and cholesterol homeostasis as well as helps protect the adult liver against metabolic stress.
Patients with coronary heart disease who had higher omega-3 fatty acid blood levels had an associated lower rate of shortening of telomere length, a chromosome marker of biological aging, raising the possibility that these fatty acids may protect against cellular aging, according to a new study.
In a head-to-head comparison, two popular weight loss methods proved equally effective at helping participants lose significant amounts of weight. But, in a surprising twist, a low-carbohydrate diet proved better at lowering blood pressure than the weight-loss drug orlistat, according to researchers.
By as early as 7 years of age, being obese may raise a child’s risk of future heart disease and stroke, even in the absence of other cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, according to a new study.
Scientists have found that a naturally occurring steroid, present in pomegranate seed, could be used to stimulate uterine contractions.
Using combined and intensive treatments and restructuring care to treat obesity like other chronic diseases may help primary care clinicians and patients better address the condition, according to several new studies.
People who are obese and have type 2 diabetes in their 20s will be at higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke in their 40s if they do not change their lifestyle.
Individuals at extremely high risk of developing psychosis appear less likely to develop psychotic disorders following a 12-week course of fish oil capsules containing long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, according to a report.
More and more Americans are turning to herbal remedies to help manage chronic conditions or promote general health and wellness. But many of today’s popular herbal supplements, including St. John’s wort, gingko biloba, garlic and even grapefruit juice can pose serious risks to people who are taking medications for heart disease, according to a review article.
Sure, some delicacies might taste just like chicken, but they usually feel and look much different. Soy meat alternatives, such as the soy burger, have become more popular recently, with increased sales of eight percent from 2007 to 2008. Now, scientists have created a soy substitute for chicken that is much like the real thing. The new soy chicken also has health benefits, including lowering cholesterol and maintaining healthy bones.
By considering molecular-level events on a broader scale, researchers now have a clearer, if more complicated, picture of how one class of immune cells goes wrong when loaded with cholesterol. The findings show that, when it comes to the development of atherosclerosis and heart disease, it’s not about any one bad actor — it’s about a network gone awry.
A Mediterranean diet may help people avoid the small areas of brain damage that can lead to problems with thinking and memory, according to a new study.
Survivors of pediatric cancer are at greater risk for high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which predispose them to heart disease. These risk factors for heart disease are being found at an earlier age than in the general population, according to new research.
A new article aims to disentangle the influence of menopause versus chronological aging in upping women’s post-menopausal risk for heart disease, evaluate the role of smoking status, physical activity and diet-induced weight loss in certain patient populations, and more fully describe the effects of intensive lipid-lowering therapy on subsequent cardiovascular events.
Obese patients who lost a moderate amount of weight by eating less and exercising more improved their cardiovascular health, says a new study.
Although seen as a potential heart disease therapy, raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels by inhibiting activity of a transfer protein may not be effective, a new study suggests. Scientists found an association between low plasma cholesterol ester transfer protein activity and increased risk of heart disease in the Framingham Heart Study population.
Laboratory experiments suggest that the resin of certain trees of the Middle East, known commonly as the “myrrh” of the Christmas story, may have cholesterol-lowering properties.
The omega-3 essential fatty acids commonly found in fatty fish and algae help animals avoid sensory overload, according to new research. The finding connects low omega-3s to the information-processing problems found in people with schizophrenia; bipolar, obsessive-compulsive, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders; Huntington’s disease; and other afflictions of the nervous system.
Intensive medical therapy, including aggressive control of blood pressure and cholesterol levels, for patients with asymptomatic plaque buildup in their carotid arteries (which supply blood to the brain) appears to be associated with reduced rates of cardiovascular events and reduced risk of microemboli (microscopic-sized blood clots) in the brain arteries, according to a new study.
