Join the 'High Cholesterol' group to help and get support from people like you.

Beans, Lentils, Peas: Your Recipe for Lower Cholesterol?

Posted 10 days ago by Drugs.com

MONDAY, April 7, 2014 – Eating beans, lentils and other legumes may help you cut down on LDL "bad" cholesterol and lower your risk for heart disease, a new review suggests. Canadian researchers examined 26 U.S. and Canadian studies that included a total of more than 1,000 people. Their analysis showed that one daily serving (3/4 cup) of legumes – foods such as beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas – was linked to a reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by 5 percent. The study couldn't confirm cause-and-effect, but did show a strong association. The 5 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol suggests a potential 5 percent lower risk of heart disease, according to a team led by Dr. John Sievenpiper, of the Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Center at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. The heart-healthy effect of legumes was greater in men than women, the research ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol

New Drug Lowers Cholesterol Beyond What Statins Can Do, Study Finds

Posted 17 days ago by Drugs.com

SUNDAY, March 30, 2014 – Two studies find that an experimental cholesterol-lowering drug is effective when combined with statins and beats another add-on drug when it comes to helping hard-to-treat patients. The drug, evolocumab, is an injectable antibody that works differently than statins by increasing the ability of the liver to clear LDL ("bad") cholesterol from the blood. The value of this drug is that it lowers cholesterol in patients who cannot tolerate statins or for whom statins don't lower cholesterol enough. "These two new studies provide further evidence of the efficacy of evolocumab for lowering LDL cholesterol in statin-treated and in statin-intolerant patients. The results are impressive," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, who had no part in either study. Both studies were funded by Amgen, the maker of ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol

Many Kids May Have High Cholesterol, Regardless of Weight

Posted 28 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 28, 2014 – About one of three Texas kids screened for cholesterol between the ages of 9 and 11 had borderline or high cholesterol, potentially placing them at greater risk for future cardiovascular disease, a new study has found. Obese kids were more likely to have abnormal cholesterol levels, but a large percentage of normal-weight children also had borderline or high cholesterol, said lead investigator Dr. Thomas Seery, a pediatric cardiologist at Texas Children's Hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, in Houston. "The reality is that 35 percent of kids who were not obese had abnormal cholesterol as well," Seery said. Physicians and parents need to teach kids healthy habits, such as eating right and exercising regularly, or as adults they will be more likely to suffer heart disease and stroke, he said. "Cardiovascular disease in ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol

Cholesterol Levels Spike During Winter Months, Study Finds

Posted 27 Mar 2014 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 27, 2014 – Here's something that's sure to alarm the millions of Americans who have braved the fiercest, longest winter in recent memory: A new study shows that your cholesterol levels fluctuate seasonally and are at their worst during cold winter months. The research, which included 2.8 million adults, brings to stark light the potential effects of comfort food and bad weather on a person's health during the winter. "It's not just some weight that you're gaining" when you eat more and exercise less during the winter, said lead investigator Dr. Parag Joshi, a cardiology fellow at Johns Hopkins. "There are markers in your blood that are changing, and those markers contribute to heart disease." Researchers at Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease analyzed cholesterol levels in more than 2.8 million Americans between 2006 and 2013, according to ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol

Kids' Checkups Should Include Cholesterol, Depression Tests, Doctors Say

Posted 24 Feb 2014 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Feb. 24, 2014 – Doctors should test middle school-age children for high cholesterol and start screening for depression at age 11, according to updated guidelines from a leading group of U.S. pediatricians. Doctors should also test older teens for HIV, the AIDS-causing virus, the revised preventive-care recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics say. The new screening schedule provides "the recommended content for a well-child visit," said Dr. Joseph Hagan, co-editor of the guidelines. "Some changes are small, some will get people's attention." The changes attempt to address several pressing health issues affecting U.S. families today. The nation's obesity epidemic means that children are developing high cholesterol levels – a risk factor for heart disease – at earlier ages. And depression is linked to higher risk for teen suicides and murder. "One in five kids ... Read more

Related support groups: Depression, High Cholesterol

Unhealthy Cholesterol Levels Might Raise Alzheimer's Risk

Posted 30 Dec 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, Dec. 30, 2013 – Keeping "bad" cholesterol in check and increasing "good" cholesterol is not only good for your heart, but also your brain, new research suggests. A study from the University of California, Davis, found that low levels of "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and high levels of "good" (HDL) cholesterol are linked to lower levels of so-called amyloid plaque in the brain. A build-up of this plaque is an indication of Alzheimer's disease, the researchers said in a university news release. The researchers suggested that maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is just as important for brain health as controlling blood pressure. "Our study shows that both higher levels of HDL and lower levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream are associated with lower levels of amyloid plaque deposits in the brain," the study's lead author, Bruce Reed, associate director of the UC Davis ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol, Alzheimer's Disease

New Guidelines for Heart Health: Reduce Obesity and Maintain Safe Cholesterol Levels

Posted 12 Nov 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Nov. 12 – Reducing obesity cuts heart-health risks, and new guidelines from experts may help doctors and their plus-sized patients devise an effective – and perhaps lifesaving – weight-loss plan. What works best are lifestyle changes, not crash diets, according to the guidelines, which were released Tuesday by the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology and the Obesity Society. "Our recommendation is that doctors prescribe a diet to achieve reduced caloric intake as part of a comprehensive lifestyle intervention," guideline co-author Dr. Donna Ryan, a professor emeritus at Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, said during a press conference. The diet should be tailored to patient preferences and any drugs they take, she said. Diet, physical activity and face-to-face behavioral counseling combined can lead to ... Read more

Related support groups: Obesity, Diabetes, Type 2, Ischemic Stroke, High Cholesterol, Heart Attack, Lipitor, Simvastatin, Crestor, Smoking Cessation, Pravastatin, Atorvastatin, Zocor, Lovastatin, Myocardial Infarction, Rosuvastatin, Gastric Bypass Surgery, Livalo, Red Yeast Rice, Pravachol, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

Statins Linked to Raised Risk of Cataracts in Study

Posted 19 Sep 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, Sept. 19 – The statin medications that millions of adults take to lower their cholesterol levels may also raise their risk of developing cataracts, a new study suggests. This is the latest of several studies looking for a link between statins such as Lipitor and Zocor and cataracts, a clouding of the lens of the eye. The results to date have been conflicting and inconclusive, the researchers note. "Cataracts are a main cause of poor vision and blindness, specifically for the elderly," said lead investigator Dr. Ishak Mansi, of the VA North Texas Health System in Dallas. "This study cannot identify that statins cause cataracts; rather, it identifies statin use as associated with a higher risk of being diagnosed with cataract," he added. The report, published Sept. 19 in the online edition of JAMA Ophthalmology, involved almost 14,000 men and women, 6,972 pairs of statin users ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol, Lipitor, Simvastatin, Crestor, Pravastatin, Atorvastatin, Cataract, Zocor, Lovastatin, Rosuvastatin, Livalo, Red Yeast Rice, Pravachol, Lescol, Lescol XL, Mevacor, Fluvastatin, Baycol, Pitavastatin, Altoprev

All-in-One Pill May Be Effective Treatment for Heart Care

Posted 4 Sep 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Sept. 3 – People dealing with chronic conditions like heart disease often have trouble keeping up with the fistfuls of medications needed to maintain their health. Now scientists have tested a potential solution that might just work: a "polypill" combining several different medications. A new international study found that heart patients are much more likely to regularly take aspirin and drugs for cholesterol and blood pressure if they are all stuffed into a single pill. "The general advantage is that everything is all in one medication," said Dr. Gerald Fletcher, a spokesman for the American Heart Association, who was not involved in the study. "Patients who have to take a dozen pills at a time tend to have a hard time remembering to take them." Heart patients can reduce their risk of heart attack or stroke by more than half if they take a combination of blood pressure ... Read more

Related support groups: High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Aspirin, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, Ecotrin, Bayer Aspirin, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction, Bufferin, Low Dose ASA, Buffered Aspirin, Ascriptin Enteric, Easprin, St Joseph Aspirin, ZORprin, Aspergum, Aspirin Lite Coat, Empirin, Stanback Analgesic, Litecoat Aspirin

High Cholesterol May Be Particularly Bad for Middle-Aged Men

Posted 27 Aug 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, Aug. 27 – Middle-aged men with high cholesterol levels are at greater risk for a first heart attack than similar women are, Norwegian researchers report. In a study of more than 40,000 men and women under the age of 60, men with high cholesterol had more than three times the risk of having a heart attack, compared to women with high cholesterol. "In middle age, our results suggest that high cholesterol is much more detrimental for men than for women, and that prevention and treatment of high cholesterol in middle-aged men have a great potential to reduce the occurrence of heart attacks among men," said lead researcher Dr. Erik Madssen, from the department of circulation and medical imaging at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in Trondheim. Men under 60 should be diagnosed and treated for high cholesterol more aggressively than what often is the case today, he ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction

Most Statin Users Won't Have Major Side Effects

Posted 9 Jul 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, July 9 – Statins – the widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs – have few serious side effects, although they do slightly raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, according to a large new evidence review. In the analysis of 135 previous studies, which included nearly 250,000 people combined, researchers found that the drugs simvastatin (Zocor) and pravastatin (Pravachol) had the fewest side effects in this class of medications. They also found that lower doses produced fewer side effects in general. "As with any drugs, statins have both benefits and harms," said study lead author Huseyin Naci, a doctoral candidate at the London School of Economics and Political Science. "We show that harmful side effects of statins are not common, and they are greatly outweighed by their benefits," said Naci, also a research fellow in the department of population medicine at Harvard Medical School ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol, Lipitor, Simvastatin, Crestor, Pravastatin, Atorvastatin, Zocor, Lovastatin, Rosuvastatin, Livalo, Red Yeast Rice, Pravachol, Lescol, Lescol XL, Mevacor, Baycol, Fluvastatin, Altoprev, Pitavastatin, Altocor

Do Heart Patients Get Too Many Cholesterol Tests?

Posted 1 Jul 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, July 1 – Many U.S. heart patients may be getting their cholesterol levels checked unnecessarily, a new study suggests. Statistics on more than 35,000 patients with coronary heart disease treated in a Houston-based Veterans Affairs network suggest this is an area of over-testing that's contributing to the nation's soaring medical costs, the study authors said. At this one network of seven hospitals, the cost of redundant cholesterol blood tests amounted to more than $200,000 in one year, the study found. "These results represent health care resource overuse and possibly their waste," said lead researcher Dr. Salim Virani, a cardiologist at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston. The study, published online July 1 in JAMA Internal Medicine, zeroed in on almost 28,000 patients taking statin drugs that were keeping their cholesterol levels in check – ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol, Diagnosis and Investigation

Cholesterol Drugs Linked to Muscle, Joint Problems: Study

Posted 3 Jun 2013 by Drugs.com

MONDAY, June 3 – People taking statin drugs to lower their cholesterol may slightly increase their risk for muscle and joint diseases as well as strains and sprains, a new study suggests. Statins, such as Zocor and Lipitor, are widely used to reduce cholesterol levels and help prevent heart disease. But they're also thought to contribute to muscle weakness, muscle cramps and tendon problems. This new study, based on nearly 14,000 U.S. active-duty soldiers and veterans, confirmed an association between the drugs' use and musculoskeletal injuries and diseases. But the findings need to be replicated in other types of studies and should not deter people at risk of heart disease from taking the medications, said lead researcher Dr. Ishak Mansi, from the VA North Texas Health Care System in Dallas. "Do not stop taking statins; these medications have been life-savers for some patients," Mansi ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol, Lipitor, Simvastatin, Crestor, Pravastatin, Atorvastatin, Zocor, Lovastatin, Rosuvastatin, Livalo, Red Yeast Rice, Pravachol, Lescol, Lescol XL, Mevacor, Baycol, Fluvastatin, Altoprev, Pitavastatin, Altocor

Could Statins Raise Diabetes Risk?

Posted 23 May 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, May 23 – Certain statins – the widely used cholesterol-lowering drugs – may increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests. The risk was greatest for patients taking atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor), rosuvastatin (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor), the study said. Focusing on almost 500,000 Ontario residents, researchers in Canada found that the overall odds of developing diabetes were low in patients prescribed statins. Still, people taking Lipitor had a 22 percent higher risk of new-onset diabetes, Crestor users had an 18 percent increased risk and people taking Zocor had a 10 percent increased risk, relative to those taking pravastatin (Pravachol), which appears to have a favorable effect on diabetes. Physicians should weigh the risks and benefits when prescribing these medications, the researchers said in the study, which was published online ... Read more

Related support groups: Diabetes, Type 2, High Cholesterol, Lipitor, Simvastatin, Crestor, Pravastatin, Atorvastatin, Zocor, Lovastatin, Rosuvastatin, Livalo, Red Yeast Rice, Pravachol, Lescol, Lescol XL, Mevacor, Fluvastatin, Baycol, Pitavastatin, Altoprev

FDA Approves Merck’s Liptruzet (ezetimibe and atorvastatin), a New Product That Can Help Lower LDL Cholesterol

Posted 6 May 2013 by Drugs.com

Friday, May 3, 2013 - Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Liptruzet (ezetimibe and atorvastatin) tablets for the treatment of elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in patients with primary or mixed hyperlipidemia as adjunctive therapy to diet when diet alone is not enough. Liptruzet (pronounced LIP-true-zett) contains ezetimibe, an efficacious LDL cholesterol lowering therapy, and atorvastatin, currently one of the most widely prescribed statins in the U.S.[1] Once-daily Liptruzet treats two sources of cholesterol by inhibiting both the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract – through ezetimibe – and the production of cholesterol in the liver – through atorvastatin. No incremental benefit of Liptruzet on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality over and above that de ... Read more

Related support groups: High Cholesterol, Lipitor, Atorvastatin, Zetia, High Cholesterol - Familial Heterozygous, High Cholesterol - Familial Homozygous, Ezetimibe, Hyperlipidemia

Ask a Question

Further Information

Related Condition Support Groups

Hypertriglyceridemia, Hyperlipoproteinemia, High Cholesterol - Familial Heterozygous, High Cholesterol - Familial Homozygous, Niacin Flush, Sitosterolemia

Related Drug Support Groups

Lipitor, simvastatin, Crestor, pravastatin, niacin, atorvastatin, Zocor, Niaspan, Welchol, view more... lovastatin, Zetia, Vytorin, gemfibrozil, evening primrose, garlic, green tea, rosuvastatin, Trilipix, Primrose Oil, Evening Primrose Oil, Livalo, red yeast rice, Pravachol, Lopid, Simcor, mycophenolate mofetil, Slo-Niacin, flax, ezetimibe, fenofibric acid, colesevelam, Lescol, Lescol XL, Advicor, Mevacor, Flax Seed Oil, Liptruzet, Baycol, Nicotinic Acid, Choloxin, Altoprev, Garlic Oil, pitavastatin, Fibricor, fluvastatin, Juvisync, Nicotinex, cerivastatin, clofibrate, Nico-400, Pravigard Pac, dextrothyroxine sodium, Nicobid Tempules, ezetimibe/simvastatin, Niacor, lovastatin/niacin, niacin/simvastatin, simvastatin/sitagliptin, aspirin/pravastatin, Atromid-S, Altocor, B3-500-Gr, Niacor B3, B-3-50, atorvastatin/ezetimibe, Nicolar, Niacin SR