http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. If a medical study seems too good to be true, it probably is, according to a new analysis. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-medical-results-false.html Cancer Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:20:01 EST news270314004 (Medical Xpress)—A comprehensive new review on how to treat high cholesterol and other blood lipid problems suggests that intensive treatment with high doses of statin drugs is usually the best approach. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-higher-dose-statins-cholesterol-issues.html Health Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:15:49 EST news269525736 A new report from American Cancer Society researchers finds that despite declining death rates, cancer has surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death among Hispanics in the U.S. In 2009, the most recent year for which actual data are available, 29,935 people of Hispanic origin in the U.S. died of cancer, compared to 29,611 deaths from heart disease. Among non-Hispanic whites and African Americans, heart disease remains the number one cause of death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-cancer-killer-hispanics.html Cancer Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:08:09 EST news267095199 After years of having it drilled into their heads, most people now know that LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the "bad" cholesterol package that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the "good" type that helps reduce it by removing cholesterol from artery walls. So if your HDL number is high, you've probably patted yourself on the back; if it's low, you may have tried to raise it by, for instance, exercising more, losing weight, drinking a daily glass of wine, or even taking medication, such as high-dose niacin. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-hdl-good.html Health Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:47:10 EST news265362415 A study from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, published August 22 online by PLoS ONE, reports that muscle problems reported by patients taking statins were related to the strength or potency of the given cholesterol-lowering drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-potency-statins-linked-muscle-side.html Medical research Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:02:58 EST news264873771 Cholesterol-lowering statin drugs appear to be associated with reduced risk of recurrent cardiovascular events in men and women, but do not appear to be associated with reduced all-cause mortality or stroke in women, according to a report of a meta-analysis published June 25 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-statins-recurrent-cardiovascular-events-men.html Cardiology Mon, 25 Jun 2012 16:27:06 EST news259860386 In a study of more than 1,000 adults, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, found that individuals taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are more likely than non-users to experience decreased energy, fatigue upon exertion, or both. The researchers suggest that these findings should be taken into account by doctors when weighing risk versus benefit in prescribing statins. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-statins-shown-fatigue.html Medications Mon, 11 Jun 2012 16:00:03 EST news258648818 (Medical Xpress) -- A simple diagnostic test developed at Oxford University, and launched today by Massachusetts-based Boston Heart Diagnostics, will identify those at increased risk of rare but serious side effects from taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-06-statin-side-effects.html Medical research Fri, 01 Jun 2012 09:23:47 EST news257761417 Pre-operative statin therapy can reduce the chance of post-operative atrial fibrillation and shortens the stay on the intensive care unit (ICU) and in the hospital in patients who undergo cardiac surgery, according to a new systematic review by Cochrane researchers. However, statin pre-treatment had no influence on the risk of dying, stroke, heart attack or kidney failure around the time of the operation. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-pre-operative-statins-patients-heart-surgery.html Cardiology Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:00:02 EST news253891400 Levels of non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) among statin-treated patients appears to be associated with the risk of developing a major cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke, as are levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apolipoprotein B, according to a meta-analysis of data from previously published studies appearing in the March 28 issue of JAMA. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-non-hdl-c-major-cardiovascular-events-patients.html Cardiology Tue, 27 Mar 2012 16:00:04 EST news252082206 A novel monoclonal antibody identified in a new study dramatically lowered circulating LDL cholesterol by 40 percent to 72 percent, a development with potential to provide a new option for patients who are resistant to cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins or to the current standard of care, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-antibody-lowers-ldl-adding-effectiveness.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:39:55 EST news251984389 It seems a picture is worth more than a thousand words for people who see evidence of coronary artery disease, which is the most common type of heart disease in men and women. Simply seeing a build-up of calcium in the walls of the arteries appears to prompt patients to better adhere to both statin therapy and recommendations for weight loss, according to research presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 61st Annual Scientific Session. The Scientific Session, the premier cardiovascular medical meeting, brings cardiovascular professionals together to further advances in the field. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-believeing-clogged-arteries.html Cardiology Mon, 26 Mar 2012 11:20:05 EST news251973227 The third most deadly disease in the U.S., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), appears to be partly driven by the action of immune cells circulating in the blood entering into the tissues of the lungs. UC Davis scientists have discovered that this key process begins in the blood vessels around the large airways in the center of the lung. The discovery helps clarify how smoking can bring about this severe respiratory condition. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:00:09 EST news251566218 Regular use of cholesterol-lowering statin drugs may be associated with a modest reduction in risk for developing Parkinson disease, particularly among younger patients, according to a study in the March issue of Archives of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-03-statin-modest-reduction-parkinson-disease.html Parkinson's & Movement disorders Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:00:10 EST news250779502 In the United States, the cost paid for statins (drugs to lower cholesterol) in people under the age of 65 who have private insurance is approximately 400 percent higher than comparable costs paid by the government in the United Kingdom (U.K.). These findings, from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) Boston Collaborative Drug Surveillance Program, are the first results of a comprehensive comparison of prescription drug costs between the U.S. and U.K. The study appears on-line in the journal Pharmacotherapy. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-01-statin-percent-higher-uk.html Medications Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:55:09 EST news244994100 Statins safely reduce the risk of cardiovascular illness even years after treatment is stopped, according to a probe into the popular cholesterol-busters published on Wednesday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-11-heart-disease-long-term-benefit-statins.html Cardiology Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:22:24 EST news241248125 Atorvastatin therapy was found to be ineffective in reducing atherosclerosis progression in children and adolescents with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Results of the Atherosclerosis Prevention in Pediatric Lupus Erythematosus (APPLE) Trial, now available in Arthritis & Rheumatism, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR), report that the statin therapy did trend toward positive effect of treatment and may benefit patients with more severe SLE who were not included in the trial. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-statin-therapy-atherosclerosis-pediatric-lupus.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:46:31 EST news238905970 Older patients who happened to have been taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs when admitted to the hospital with serious head injuries were 76 percent more likely to survive than those not taking the drugs, according to results of a Johns Hopkins study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-statins.html Medications Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:30:01 EST news238151666 (AP) -- The first combination pill for the millions of people with the dangerous combination of diabetes and high cholesterol won U.S. approval Friday, offering convenience - and savings - to patients taking multiple pills. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-fda-diabetes-cholesterol-combo-pill.html Medications Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:02:21 EST news237204133 (Medical Xpress) -- High cholesterol has been found to contribute to a loss of bone density in two ways, according to researchers at Duke University Medical Center. It blocks formation of new bone cells and it encourages the activity of mechanisms responsible for breaking down bone. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-cholesterol-contributes-bone-loss-aging.html Medical research Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:14:59 EST news236427291 Elevated blood cholesterol levels are regarded as a risk factor for heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. However, this does not necessarily mean that every cholesterol-lowering drug can also prevent heart attacks. For example, the benefit of the cholesterol-lowering drug ezetimibe is unclear. In particular, proof is lacking that patients have a greater benefit if they take ezetimibe in addition to statins for the prevention of heart attacks. This is the result of the final report published by the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) on 12 September 2011. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-elevated-cholesterol-benefit-ezetimibe-proven.html Medications Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:45:09 EST news235215866 The death rate among patients prescribed a statin in a major trial that ended in 2003 is still lower than those given a placebo, even though most participants in both groups have been taking statins ever since. ASCOT, the Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial, was stopped early because the statin was so effective at preventing heart attacks and strokes, but a new analysis has shown that eight years on, the most significant difference between the groups is a reduction in deaths from infection and respiratory illness. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-statins-deaths-infection-respiratory-illness.html Cardiology Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:29:31 EST news233753355 For many patients, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs can reduce the risk of strokes as well as heart attacks. But in a review article, Loyola University Health System neurologists caution that statins may not be appropriate for cetain categories of patients who are at risk for stroke. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-cholesterol-lowering-statin-drugs.html Medications Fri, 19 Aug 2011 08:51:48 EST news232962683 New research indicates cholesterol lowering drugs known as statins may help prevent future strokes among young people who have already had a stroke. The study is published in the August 2, 2011, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-cholesterol-lowering-drugs-recurrent-younger-people.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:00:01 EST news231434033 (Medical Xpress) -- A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that, contrary to previous studies, the use of cholesterol reducing statin drugs does not increase the risk of patients developing cancer. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-link-statins-cancer.html Cancer Mon, 25 Jul 2011 13:03:29 EST news230817786 A human drug that both prevents and cures kidney failure in mice sheds light on disabling human mitochondrial disorders, and may represent a potential treatment in people with such illnesses. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-animal-results-pave-rare-mitochondrial.html Medical research Thu, 19 May 2011 11:03:15 EST news225021774 (AP) -- A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will consider this week whether to revoke a key indication from Abbott's blockbuster cholesterol drug Trilipix. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-fda-panel-revoking-key-abbott.html Medications Tue, 17 May 2011 13:15:45 EST news224856838 A new study from North Carolina State University shows that the vast majority of patients at high risk for heart disease or stroke do a poor job of taking statins as prescribed. That's especially unfortunate, because the same study shows that taking statins can significantly increase the quality and length of those patients' lives. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-at-risk-patients-dont-adhere-statin.html Health Thu, 12 May 2011 10:08:13 EST news224413674 Taking a statin before having major elective surgery reduces potentially serious kidney complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-statins-kidney-complications-elective-surgery.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:34:02 EST news221761932