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

Posted 14 days ago 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, Zocor, Cataract, 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, ZORprin, Aspergum, Buffered Aspirin, Ascriptin Enteric, Easprin, St Joseph Aspirin, Bayer Aspirin Regimen, Genacote, Migralex, Sloprin

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, Red Yeast Rice, Livalo, Pravachol, Lescol, Lescol XL, Mevacor, Pitavastatin, Baycol, Fluvastatin, Altoprev, Cerivastatin

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, Red Yeast Rice, Livalo, Pravachol, Lescol, Lescol XL, Mevacor, Pitavastatin, Baycol, Fluvastatin, Altoprev, Cerivastatin

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

Secondhand Smoke Tied to Lower 'Good' Cholesterol in Teen Girls

Posted 30 Apr 2013 by Drugs.com

TUESDAY, April 30 – Exposure to secondhand smoke at home appears to lower teen girls' levels of the "good" cholesterol – the substance that reduces heart disease risk, researchers report. The new study included more than 1,000 male and female teens, aged 17, in Australia who had blood tests to check their levels of "good" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. While "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol creates a build-up that can block blood vessels, HDL plays a positive role by clearing excess cholesterol from the bloodstream. The researchers also examined information about smoking in the teens' households beginning before they were born, when their mothers were 18 weeks into their pregnancies. Forty-eight percent of the study participants had been exposed to secondhand smoke at home, according to the study in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & ... Read more

Related support groups: Smoking, High Cholesterol

Health Tip: Lower Cholesterol

Posted 23 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

-- Eating healthier can help lower your cholesterol. The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions: Cut back on fatty meats, processed meats, poultry with skin and full-fat dairy products. Eat more foods rich in soluble fiber, such as legumes, fruits, oats, barley, flaxseed and whole grains. Eat at least one meat-free meal each week, opting instead for beans, tofu or nuts. Lose any excess weight, even if it's a modest amount. Read more

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TV Ads for Statins May Drive Overtreatment

Posted 8 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

FRIDAY, March 8 – Television ads for cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may lead to overdiagnosis of high cholesterol and overtreatment with the drugs, according to a new study. The research found that patients' visits with doctors to ask about statins advertised on TV often lead to prescriptions for the drugs. The ads tell viewers about the health risks of high cholesterol and encourage them to seek medical advice, tests and appropriate treatment. The researchers wanted to assess the effect of this direct-to-consumer advertising. The study was published online March 7 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. It examined how often more than 106,000 American adults were exposed to such ads between 2001 and 2007. Researchers also looked at whether these adults reported being diagnosed with high cholesterol, whether they had taken a statin in the previous year and their risk factors ... Read more

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

Cholesterol Levels May Vary By Season

Posted 7 Mar 2013 by Drugs.com

THURSDAY, March 7 – Cholesterol levels increase with winter's arrival and drop again as warmer weather returns, a new study by Brazilian researchers suggests. "In the winter, people should be careful with their cholesterol levels," said lead researcher Dr. Filipe Moura, a doctoral student at the State University of Campinas. Whether these changes in cholesterol are putting patients at risk for heart attacks or stroke isn't clear, Moura said. It's a complex picture and these changes might have a role, but there are many other factors, he added. There are several possible reasons cholesterol varies by season, Moura said, including changes in diet, exercise and exposure to the sun. "In the winter, people consume more calories and eat fattier foods, which could have an effect on their bad cholesterol," he said. "Also, it's common for people to exercise less during the winter and stay in ... Read more

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