Too much selenium can elevate cholesterol levels

November 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A daily dose of nuts-walnuts, almonds, pistachios- can make up for a heart-healthy diet, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. Most nuts contain some nutrients that can benefit heart health and help with cholesterol control.

November 13th, 2009 LONDON - Taking excess of selenium, an essential mineral, in your diet can increase your cholesterol by almost 10 percent. Selenium is a trace mineral with anti-oxidant properties.

November 11th, 2009 LONDON - People may no longer require to fast before having a cholesterol test, for a new study found that the results were just as accurate if the patient had eaten before the test. Cholesterol tests have long been a key part of assessing a patient's risk of cardiovascular problems and for decades patients have been asked to not eat food 12 hours prior to a test.

November 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has shown that use of cholesterol-lowering drugs or statins for over a year can significantly lower a person's risk of developing gallstones that require surgery. Gallstones are classified as either cholesterol (80 percent-90 percent) or pigment stones (10 percent-20 percent), with cholesterol stones formed on the basis of cholesterol-supersaturated bile.

November 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has revealed that chemicals used in commercial and industrial applications such as surfactants, paper and textile coatings and food packaging might affect serum cholesterol levels in people. The polyfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs) have been found to be highly persistent in human tissues, with serum elimination half-lives of more than eight years for some types of PFCs.

November 4th, 2009 LONDON - A study led by an Indian-origin researcher has found that a drug that raises levels of 'good' cholesterol can also help clear clogged arteries in heart patients who are already on standard statin therapy, Oxford University announced Wednesday. The findings of the study, led by Robin Choudhury of the department of cardiovascular medicine at Oxford University, are published in this week's issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

November 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Men with low cholesterol levels are less likely to suffer from aggressive form of prostate cancer, say researchers. The study led by Johns Hopkins researchers showed that having lower levels of heart-clogging fat might cut a man's risk of high grade prostate cancer by nearly 60 percent.

November 3rd, 2009 more images more images Low cholesterol may prevent some prostate cancers Men may protect more than their hearts if they keep cholesterol in line: Their chances of getting aggressive prostate cancer may be lower, new research suggests. One study found that men whose cholesterol was in a healthy range — below 200 — had less than half the risk of developing high-grade prostate tumors compared to men with high cholesterol.

November 2nd, 2009 FDA won't accept Merck's application for new drugWHITEHOUSE STATION, N.J. — U.S. regulators won't accept drugmaker Merck's application for a new combination cholesterol pill that includes rival Pfizer's Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug.

October 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A commonly used cholesterol-lowering drug, called simvastatin, can prevent progression of Parkinson's disease, according to a study by neurological researchers at Rush University Medical Center. The study examined the use of the FDA-approved medication in mice with Parkinson's disease and found that the drug successfully reverses the biochemical, cellular and anatomical changes caused by the disease.

October 29th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Apart from treating high cholesterol and lowering the risk of heart disease, statins have also been found to potentially reduce the risks of other diseases, such as dementia. But, a new study has shown that similar statin drugs can have profoundly different effects on brain cells - both beneficial and harmful.

October 28th, 2009 LONDON - Millions of people worldwide use statins, a class of drugs used to lower blood cholesterol, but new research shows they may also be effective against cancer. Statins lower cholesterol by blocking certain enzymes involved in our metabolism.

October 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Obesity could be a factor in delaying optimal control of blood pressure and cholesterol, a new research has found. The study, presented at the 2009 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress hosted by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, found that obese patients taking medications to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol levels were less likely to attain recommended targets for these cardiovascular disease risk factors than their normal weight counterparts.

September 18th, 2009 LONDON - Middle-aged smokers with high cholesterol and blood pressure face a ten-year cut in their lives, warns a new study. The warning follows an Oxford University study of 19,000 men over an average of 38 years.

September 9th, 2009 LONDON - Cholesterol-lowering wonder drugs known as statins may help treat female sexual dysfunction (FSD), according to a new study. Raised cholesterol levels, or hyperlipidemia, have been linked to erectile dysfunction in men, as the build-up of fats in blood vessel walls can reduce blood flow to erectile tissue.