British researchers say people's good and total cholesterol levels can be tested without requiring patients to fast, and without measuring their levels of triglycerides. Read Summary >
Results from a new study suggest that taking cholesterol-lowering statins may reduce the development of gallstones and the need for surgery to treat them. Read Summary >
A recent clinical trial on the bad cholesterol-lowering drug Zetia was stopped early after scientists found that a combination of this drug and a statin was less effective at reducing cholesterol buildup in the arteries than a combo of a statin and Niaspan, a drug that raises good cholesterol. Read Summary >
Ill effects of vitamin D deficiency in men
are amplified by lower levels of estrogen, but not by testosterone.
Vitamin D is essential to good health, and can be obtained
from fortified foods such as milk and cereals, and by exposure to
sunlight. Previous studies showed that deficiencies in vitamin D
and low levels of estrogen were independent risk factors for
hardened and narrowed arteries and weakened bones. Read More >
Researchers have developed a new enzyme to
break down dense scar tissue that builds up on the spinal cord
after central nervous system damage. Read More >
Superior size and strength can mean
championships, scholarships and million-dollar paydays for today's
athletes. But a comparison of professional baseball players and
football players reveals that the larger professional athletes --
specifically football linemen -- are at greatly increased risk of
cardiometabolic syndrome. These findings come on the heels of media
reports suggesting that professional football players are twice as
likely to die before age 50 as professional baseball players. Read More >
