Metabolic health (normal blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, among other factors) influences the effectiveness of influenza vaccinations. Vaccination is known to be less effective in people with obesity compared ...
Apr 18, 2024
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Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide are taking drugs like Ozempic to lose weight. But what do we actually know about them? The Conversation's experts explore their rise, impact and potential consequences.
Apr 16, 2024
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A Dartmouth-led study suggests that people who frequently consume seafood may face an increased risk of exposure to PFAS, the family of ubiquitous and resilient human-made toxins known as "forever chemicals."
Apr 12, 2024
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A changing climate may be linked to growing death and disability from stroke in regions around the world, according to a study published in the April 10, 2024, online issue of Neurology.
Apr 10, 2024
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Usually, the word "cholesterol" prompts a negative reaction because of its role in cardiovascular disease. While this is true, cholesterol is also vital for cells to function correctly—for example, cholesterol is a component ...
Apr 9, 2024
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Among patients at high or very high risk for a heart attack or stroke, the addition of the investigational drug lerodalcibep to standard cholesterol-lowering medication for one year reduced LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, levels ...
Apr 8, 2024
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Using a web application to qualify individuals for treatment with a non-prescription statin closely matched the results of clinician assessments in determining a person's eligibility for taking statins to lower cholesterol, ...
Apr 8, 2024
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The first trial of a novel strategy for removing cholesterol from patients' arteries did not reduce the risk of death, heart attack or stroke within three months of a prior heart attack, according to research presented at ...
Apr 8, 2024
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Changes in the gut microbiome have been implicated in a range of diseases including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and inflammatory bowel disease. Now, a team of researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard along with ...
Apr 2, 2024
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When someone has a heart attack or a stroke, specialized care can give them the best chance of surviving.
Apr 2, 2024
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Cholesterol is a lipidic, waxy steroid found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. Cholesterol is the principal sterol synthesized by animals, but small quantities are synthesized in other eukaryotes, such as plants and fungi. It is almost completely absent among prokaryotes, which include bacteria. Cholesterol is classified as a sterol.
Since cholesterol is essential for life, it is primarily synthesized de novo within the body. However excessive levels of cholesterol in blood circulation are strongly associated with progression of atherosclerosis. For an adult, typical total body cholesterol synthesis is about 1 gram per day (less if dietary intake is high) and total body cholesterol content is about 35 g. Average dietary intake in western societies is 0.2 - 0.3 grams. Cholesterol is excreted by the liver via the bile into the digestive tract. Typically about 50% of the excreted cholesterol is reabsorbed by the small bowel back into the blood stream.
The name cholesterol originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as François Poulletier de la Salle first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones, in 1769. However, it was only in 1815 that chemist Eugène Chevreul named the compound "cholesterine".
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