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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: cholesterol

cholesterol stories: 25 news summaries

1 - 20 of 25 Stories | 1 2 Next >>

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High Cholesterol in 40s Tied to Dementia Later

Lowering it won't necessarily help, studies suggest

Aug 10, 09 12:11 PM CDT
(Newser) - High cholesterol in middle age may increase a person’s future risk of Alzheimer’s disease, NPR reports. “Our study shows that even moderately high cholesterol levels in your 40s puts people at greater risk for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in later life,” says one researcher, who... More »

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elderly • dementia • public health • cholesterol • aging • brain • medical research • health research • vascular dementia • Alzheimer's Disease • women's issues

(Newser) - The FDA has a message for Cheerios: You're a cereal, not a wonder drug. The agency says General Mills must tone down its health claims or risk having its product yanked off shelves, the New York Daily News reports. The cereal box makes all sorts of claims about lowering... More »

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FDA • cholesterol • General Mills • Food and Drug Administration • Cheerios • breakfast cereal

Drug May Cut Heart Attack Risk in Half

'Blockbuster' study could transform preventative care

Nov 9, 08 8:06 PM CST
(Newser) - A simple test and drug prescription can prevent hundreds of thousands of heart attacks and strokes, researchers say. Announced today at an American Heart Association meeting in New Orleans, the study of almost 18,000 volunteers in 26 nations confirmed that inflammation leads to heart disease—and can be counteracted... More »

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heart disease • cholesterol • heart attack • statins • stroke • American Heart Association • drug trials • American College of Cardiology

 Trendy Pomegranates 
 Have a Downside, Too 

The trendy fruit has some drawbacks

Oct 22, 08 8:21 PM CDT
(Newser) - Those five bottles of pomegranate juice you drink per day to help you live longer? Turns out they could be hurting you, reports the Chicago Tribune. Pomegranates, which have reached “superstar status” because of their alleged health benefits, can interfere with a number of drugs, including Crestor and Lipitor.... More »

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food • cholesterol • blood pressure • fruits and vegetables • healthy eating • cancer diet • grapefruit • trend

Scientists Still Question Popular Drugs Zetia, Vytorin

Much-prescribed cholesterol medicines may not reduce risk of heart disease, death

Sep 2, 08 10:26 AM CDT
(Newser) - Some cholesterol medicines have shown no indication they actually work—but that hasn’t stopped doctors from heavily prescribing them, the New York Times reports. Short trials of Zetia and Vytorin, known generically as ezetimibe, showed no evidence they reduced risk of heart attack or cardiovascular disease, while tests raised... More »

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Merck • drug safety • drug companies • cholesterol • cholesterol lowering drug • Vytorin • Zetia • Food and Drug Administration • Schering-Plough

Docs Push Cholesterol Tests for Kids

New rules advise testing as young as 2, treating with statins at 8

Jul 7, 08 6:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - With 30% of US children overweight, pediatricians are now recommending cholesterol screenings for kids as young as 2, and the use of cholesterol-fighting drugs in youngsters 8 and up, in order to stave off diabetes and early heart attacks. Some 30%-60% of children with high cholesterol aren’t being treated,... More »

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obesity • childhood obesity • children • cholesterol • statins • pediatrics • overweight • cholesterol lowering drug • American Academy of Pediatrics

 Low 'Good' Cholesterol
 Hurts Memory 

Study links low HDL to brain's decline—and possibly dementia

Jul 1, 08 12:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - Low levels of high-density lipoprotein—so-called "good" cholesterol—lead to memory failure and perhaps dementia, a study finds. Researchers followed subjects aged 55-61, and found that patients with low HDL levels were 53% more likely to experience memory loss. "We looked at cognitive decline in midlife, but it... More »

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memory • dementia • cholesterol • memory loss • scientific study • good cholesterol • high-density lipoprotein

Chinese Remedy Could Cut Cholesterol

Red yeast rice extract
is rich in active agent
in statin drugs

Jun 10, 08 12:54 PM CDT
(Newser) - A Chinese supplement could help lower cholesterol in patients unable to tolerate statin drugs, ABC News reports. Extract of red yeast rice, a form of fermented rice that has been used in China for many centuries in medicine and food, is naturally rich in the active ingredient in the drugs.... More »

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heart disease • cholesterol • statins • cholesterol lowering drug • Chinese medicine

Turnaround King Sees Gold in Margarine

Marketing guru aims to make Smart Balance
a billion-dollar brand

Jun 5, 08 7:45 PM CDT
(Newser) - Hailed as a marketing magician for successes with Healthy Choice and Tropicana, billion-dollar brand legend Steve Hughes is at it again, Fortune reports. Turning Smart Balance’s “good” cholesterol into an industry-leading line of spreads is the goal, though stiff competition, rocketing commodity prices, and strapped shoppers could work... More »

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cholesterol • American Heart Association • branding • omega-3 fatty acids • margarine • Healthy Choice • Smart Balance • Steve Hughes

 Mac in ‘Excellent
 Health’: Doctors 

No sign of cancer for 71-year-old Republican candidate

May 23, 08 5:00 PM CDT
(Newser) - John McCain’s doctors said today the 71-year-old candidate is in “excellent health and displays extraordinary energy,” and there has been no recurrence of the skin cancer that prompted surgery 8 years ago. The future Republican nominee has kidney stones and takes several medications—including one to reduce... More »

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John McCain • cholesterol • skin cancer • kidney stones

A Coffee a Day May Keep Dementia Away: Study

Daily caffeine helps protect the brain from damaging cholesterol

Apr 3, 08 4:52 AM CDT
(Newser) - A daily fix of caffeine helps shield the brain from the damaging effects of cholesterol, which is apparently the way coffee helps reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests. The "blood-brain barrier" protects the brain from toxins in the bloodstream, but scientists have discovered that cholesterol makes it... More »

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dementia • coffee • cholesterol • caffeine • brain • medical research • Alzheimer's Disease

Firms Hid Bad News on
Heart Drugs 2 Years: Doc

Merck and Schering-Plough delayed trial results on Vytorin, Zetia

Apr 1, 08 10:49 AM CDT
(Newser) - A scientist hired by two drug companies to conduct trials of cholesterol-lowering drugs accused the firms of deliberately delaying release of the results, the New York Times reports. The results for the Vytorin and Zetia trials—which showed the drugs don't work to reduce plaque in arteries—were not released... More »

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Merck • drug companies • cholesterol • cholesterol lowering drug • clinical trials • Vytorin • Zetia • Schering-Plough

2 Top Cholesterol Drugs, Vytorin and Zetia, Don't Work

Cardiologists urge prescribing statins over Vytorin, Zetia

Mar 31, 08 3:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - Two top-selling cholesterol drugs  proved in a recent study to be largely ineffective in slowing the clogging of arteries, a panel of cardiologists said yesterday. Doctors should only prescribe Vytorin and Zetia if other medications don't work, and should rely instead on statins such as Lipitor and Zocor, they said.... More »

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cardiovascular disease • Merck • cholesterol • heart attack • cholesterol lowering drug • clinical trials • Vytorin • Zetia • American College of Cardiology • Schering-Plough

Women's Stroke Rates Triple

Alarming rise linked to wider waistlines

Feb 21, 08 7:41 AM CST
(Newser) - Strokes have tripled among middle-aged American women in an alarming development experts attribute to obesity. Despite the increased use of blood pressure and cholesterol medication, 2% of women aged 35 to 54 suffered a stroke between 1999 and 2004. That's a three-fold increase over earlier studies. More »

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obesity • women's health • women • diet • cholesterol • blood pressure • junk food • blood sugar • stroke • middle age • federal health survey • body mass index • International Stroke Conference • belly fat • stroke risk

Generic Beats Pricey Pill on Cholesterol

Pharma stocks fall
after in-house study hails 3-cent drug

Jan 14, 08 5:42 PM CST
(Newser) - A cheap generic drug cuts arterial buildup as well as a pricey pill and may threaten the growth of two drug companies, Bloomberg reports. Vytorin is produced by Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough Corp. and costs $2.84 per dose; simvastin, a generic, costs 3 cents a pill and works... More »

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Merck • cholesterol • heart attack • LDL • Vytorin • Zetia • Schering-Plough

Exercise + Alcohol = Good for Heart Health

A little drinking can help a lot if you're active, European study finds

Jan 10, 08 1:04 PM CST
(Newser) - Moderate drinking may help you live longer, according to a new study by Danish researchers. Scientists followed 12,000 participants for 20 years and found that, regardless of how much they exercised, those who drank in moderation were about 30% less likely to develop heart disease than teetotalers. Physically active... More »

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health • alcohol • heart disease • heart • cholesterol • blood pressure • exercise • Denmark

OPINION

Fast Food:
The Healthy Alternative*

*That is, to nostalgic, even-more-caloric American diners

Dec 13, 07 7:37 PM CST
(Newser) - Don't blame McDonald's for America's obesity problem—in fact, thank it for providing a relatively healthy alternative to the even-fattier fare of "dives and diners," which offer delicacies like the "10-Storey Challenge Burger" and 72-ounce steaks, writes Greg Beato in Reason Magazine. Despite the graver health... More »

MORE ABOUT:
cholesterol • fast food • diner • healthy eating • burger • chain stores

Women Win One in Battle
of Bulge

Obesity rates have leveled off, holding
at 35% since 1999

Nov 29, 07 5:30 AM CST
(Newser) - Obesity rates among American women have leveled off and remained steady since 1999, while rates among American men may be following suit, the CDC reported today. The study’s lead researcher called the trend “great news” for women. Officials will wait to render a final verdict for men, the... More »

MORE ABOUT:
obesity • health • Body Mass Index • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • weight loss • cholesterol • blood pressure

Battle Brews in Pharma's Market

Pfizer launches attack on generic drug that threatens Lipitor's dominance

Nov 3, 07 6:43 PM CDT
(Newser) - Pfizer is trying to stave off its own heart attack now that its flagship cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor faces stiff competition from a cheaper generic. Lipitor is still patent-protected, but a very similar drug called Zocor isn't, and since a generic version called simvastatin hit the market, many doctors and insurers... More »

MORE ABOUT:
insurance companies • pharmaceutical companies • Pfizer • cholesterol • health care industry • heart attack • medical treatment • statins • LDL • generic drugs • Zocor • Lipitor • simvastatin

Scientists
Solve Estrogen
Heart Mystery

Cholesterol compound blocks hormone's cardiac benefits

Sep 17, 07 3:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - A compound created as the body processes cholesterol was to blame for giving scientists conflicting data about the effect of hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women, researchers say. Initial studies had found that estrogen helps keep the heart healthy, but a later study reported that women taking estrogen actually exhibited... More »

MORE ABOUT:
women's health • hormone replacement therapy • heart • cholesterol • estrogen • hormones • menopause

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