Cholesterol Solutions Today:The Good & The Bad

A side effect of economic prosperity may be an increased risk of the most common type of strokes, researchers from China report in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.And this finding should be regarded as “an opportunity for health policy leaders to react” according to an accompanying editorial.In the study, the rate of blood clot-caused (ischemic) strokes in China increased by almost 9 percent per year between 1984 and 2004.

Statins, the most effective treatment for lowering cholesterol, are widely used and have been demonstrated to be safe in large clinical trials. Although side effects are usually mild, more severe side effects, especially musculoskeletal complications, have been reported. Tendon impairment has been reported anecdotally but has not been included in large-scale studies. A new study published in the March issue of

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania points to increased health risks for women owing to their higher level of discomfort about being weighed in public.The study showed that college-age females, more than their male counterparts, experience high degrees of discomfort at the prospect of being weighed in the presence of others.

These days there’s a consumer group to fight our cause in almost every walk of life. Now a remarkable group of people are using their own experience to help shape pioneering research into the medical treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients.Members of The Nottingham Stroke Consumer Group don’t hold back when it comes to offering academics their opinions. In fact they are better qualified than most to give it.

Australian toddlers are consuming more energy than they need, putting them at risk of overweight and obesity, according to new research in Nutrition & Dietetics published by Wiley-Blackwell. Researcher Dr Karen Webb said the 16 to 24 month old children consumed on average 10 per cent more kilojoules than their estimated energy requirement. She said small, ongoing excesses in energy intake could lead to overweight or obesity in the long-term.

EnteroMedics Inc., (NASDAQ:ETRM), the developer of medical devices using neuroblocking technology to treat obesity and other gastrointestinal disorders, announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for the expansion of its pivotal clinical trial, known as the EMPOWER Study, from 220 patients to 300 patients. Full enrollment in the EMPOWER Study is expected in the first half of 2008, consistent with previous projections, despite expansion of the study.

Overweight Hispanic children with normal blood glucose (sugar) levels showed elevated markers for blood vessel inflammation that may predispose them to developing both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, says a new study led by researchers from the Joslin Diabetes Center.

Pfizer on Monday announced plans to end an advertising campaign for the cholesterol medication Lipitor that features Robert Jarvik, who invented the first artificial heart, amid concerns that the ads might mislead consumers, the

Recent results from a small clinical trial raised confusing questions about the value of several widely used cholesterol medicines such as Zetia and its sister drug, Vytorin. The future of these drugs now depend on three large clinical trials that may show conclusively if the drugs reduce heart attacks and strokes. Currently underway, these trials are not expected to be completed until 2011. Yet, according to nutrition experts, diet still remains key to lowering cholesterol levels.

Researchers claim “listening to music in the early weeks after a stroke could help patients recover from brain damage”, reported the Daily Mail on a study. The Daily Telegraph said that the stroke patients were divided into three groups. One group listened to pop, classical, jazz or folk music for a couple of hours a day while the other two listened to audio books or did not listen to anything.