Large quantities of rich Christmas food appear to boost cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels can be a sign that arteries are getting clogged and there is a greater risk of developing heart attacks and stroke. Heart attacks and strokes are what kill most people worldwide.
Body
A major Cardiovascular (CV) risk factor is low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C). A lot of evidence that was accumulated supports a linear association between LDL-C levels and CV risk. However, whether the lower limit of LDL-C might offer CV benefits without any safety concerns is still a topic of debate.
This review discusses data from studies of several safety events that have been associated with low LDL-C levels achieved with major lipid-lowering drug.
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a hereditary genetic disorder predisposing in premature atherosclerosis and cardiovascular complications. Early diagnoses as well as effective treatment strategies in affected children are challenges among experts. Universal screening and cascade screening among families with familial hypercholesterolemia are being controversially discussed.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 3, 2019) -- In an editorial published in CNS Spectrums, Jay Avasarala, MD, PhD, takes the research community to task for its lack of minority representation in Phase III clinical trials for drugs to treat Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
A new study suggests that people over age 65 who are newly diagnosed with heart failure can continue to drink moderate amounts of alcohol without worsening their condition.
Bottom Line: Pain relief for pregnant women in labor is commonly given in the form of epidural, spinal or combined spinal-epidural blockade, which is collectively referred to as neuraxial analgesia. This study used birth certificate data and found wide variation in neuraxial analgesia use across the United States. Among 2.6 million pregnant women who underwent labor in 2015, neuraxial analgesia was used by 73 percent, with the lowest frequency in Maine and the highest in Nevada.
Could drinking alcohol be associated with better survival in patients after heart failure diagnosis?
Bottom Line: Having seven or fewer alcoholic drinks a week was associated with increased survival in older adults with newly diagnosed heart failure compared with patients who abstained from alcohol after accounting for other potential mitigating factors. Conflicting data exist about an association between alcohol consumption and heart failure but not much is known about the safety of alcohol consumption in patients after a new diagnosis of heart failure.
CORVALLIS, Ore. - If quitting smoking is one of your New Year's resolutions, you might want to consider cutting back on your drinking, too.
New research has found that heavy drinkers who are trying to stop smoking may find that reducing their alcohol use can also help them quit their daily smoking habit. Heavy drinkers' nicotine metabolite ratio - a biomarker that indicates how quickly a person's body metabolizes nicotine - reduced as they cut back on their drinking.
Cancer patients are often prescribed pain medications, for example during recovery from surgical procedures. However, for many cancer patients, the use of opioid pain medications during treatment can be a gateway to misuse or addiction once treatment ends. Now with cancer patients living longer than ever before, protecting quality of life in the months, years, or decades after treatment is becoming increasingly important, including guarding against the risk of opioid addiction.
A comprehensive study of monkeys given the breast cancer drug letrozole reveals side effects that impact the brain. Published in JNeurosci, the research establishes the common marmoset as an important nonhuman primate model for studying the effects of estrogen-reducing treatments on the nervous system.
Letrozole is used to prevent breast cancer recurrence by interfering with the production of estrogens. Although side effects such as mood disturbances and memory issues have been reported in both humans and animals, little is known about how the drug impacts the brain.
1. Catheter ablation superior to standard drug therapy for heart failure
Abstract: http://annals.org/aim/article/doi/10.7326/M18-0992
URLs go live when the embargo lifts
A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that catheter ablation was superior to conventional drug therapy alone for patients with atrial fibrillation and heart failure. Findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Prostate cancer is the second prevent type of cancer that exists. Prostate cancer is usually a slowly progressing disease but it can sometimes manifest as an aggressive cancer. Prostate imaging is the primary way to diagnose the disease and this necessity drives its demand in the clinic.
December 21, 2018 - At least for brief periods, overlapping surgery is safe for patients undergoing outpatient or "same-day" orthopaedic surgery procedures, reports a study in the December 19, 2018 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
CHICAGO --- Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered two successful therapies that slowed the progression of pediatric leukemia in mice, according to three studies published over the last two years in the journal Cell, and the final paper published Dec. 20 in Genes & Development.
A homeless individual is one who lacks fixed and reliable housing, and approximately 553,000 people fit that description on any given night in the United States. A new retrospective cohort study led by investigators from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Brigham and Women's Hospital examines patterns, causes and outcomes of acute hospitalizations between 2007 and 2013 for homeless individuals and non-homeless control groups in three populous and diverse U.S. states: Florida, California and Massachusetts.