Dyslipidemia

The American Heart Association was one of the first organizations to advocate dietary changes to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). The organization's first recommendation appeared in 1957 advising a decrease in the amount of fat intake to decrease atherosclerosis risk. Today, a different approach is recommended, which considers the diet as a whole, with recommendations of what to both include and avoid. Among other nutritional and lifestyle recommendations, the AHA advises the consumption of 2 servings of fish weekly for both men and women.

Evaluating the status of lipoprotein may be able to predict a patient's risk for cardiovascular disease for up to 15 years, according to findings in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

When patients have chest pain, a CT scan can rule out disease or find it, the SCOT-HEART study found. That led to some patients learning they did not need treatment and others getting interventions that saved lives.

Jamal Rana, MD, Oakland, CA, presented research results on metabolic dyslipidemia and the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in adults with diabetes and low LDL-cholesterol.

Study results show that men with stable coronary heart disease or acute coronary syndrome who received testosterone replacement therapy did not experience higher rates of major adverse cardiovascular events than men who did not receive testosterone replacement therapy.

Study results show that treatment with atorvastatin lowers LDL-cholesterol levels and reduces the volume of noncalcified and high-risk plaques in HIV-infected patients with subclinical atherosclerosis.

New research suggests that low testosterone levels in older men are less likely to lead to cardiovascular disease than a sign of underlying problems that are the real cause.

Joint inflammation could be reduced in rheumatoid arthritis patients by targeting a specific enzyme, according to research from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Drug therapy is recognized as an effective way to lower lipids and control hypertension, and for its effect on reducing the incidence of myocardial infarction. However, the impact of personal habits, such as eating, drinking, smoking, and exercise, on the incidence of coronary heart disease without reliance on prescription medications and their potential side effects may be less well established.

Community-wide programs to help residents reduce their risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) have had sporadic success. In rural Maine, however, such an effort has had sustained results lasting over a 40-year period, N. Burgess Record, MD and colleagues report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

There have been some disappointing studies and contradictory recommendations on using statins to treat stroke. HCPLive's Gale Scott interviewed Koto Ishida, MD, medical director of the NYU Langone Comprehensive Stroke Care Center, about the implications for clinicians.

Around 10% of elders experience some form of elder abuse (physical, sexual or emotional abuse; neglect, exploitation, or abandonment), and elders who are abused appear to have a high level of comorbidity. Evidence suggests that patients who have experienced elder abuse are at higher risk of cardiovascular-related mortality.

The FDA has cleared a blood test that can screen patients, especially black women, for coronary heart disease.

Statins effectively lower LDL cholesterol levels in many patients, However, on the individual level, some patients do not respond with the expected 40% to 55% reduction in cholesterol levels. Genetic variation may be the cause.

The 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline for management of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to reduce atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk identified adults who could benefit from moderate- to high-intensity statin use.

Also known as alternate day fasting, "zigzag" caloric cycling calls for the dieter to eat the number of calories required to maintain weight one day, and then 25% of his or her energy needs on the fast day. Studies have shown that individuals who are compliant with this pattern can lose 4% to 8% of their body weight over 8 to 12 weeks.

Physicians caring for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) must strike a balance between ensuring optimal lipid control for protection from vascular events, while avoiding undue risk.

Homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH) is a rare and severe hereditary lipid disorder. Patients with HoFH generally have very high serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) that is treatment-resistant. HoFH puts affected patients at extremely high risk of premature onset coronary heart disease, and many patients die before they reach their mid-30s.

As the number of bariatric surgeries increase, clinicians require more and better data about its long-term outcomes. As we know, as more people take a medication or undergo a surgical procedure, the better the quality of the collective data. It's the strength in numbers concept. In the case of bariatric surgery, many clinicians have questions about treatment failure rates and they suspect that reports of sustained weight loss may be overly optimistic.

Individuals who engage in physical activity on a regular basis have improved cardiovascular fitness, improved insulin sensitivity, and improved glucose tolerance.

News from the literature on a possible link between atherosclerosis and psoriasis and quality of life for patients with this skin condition.

For individuals with hypercholesterolemia, research published in the Journal of American Medical Association provided recommendations on statin use for treating their condition prior to age 80.

Resistant hypertension is common among patients with type 2 diabetes, and is strongly associated with microvascular disease.

Adherence is defined as conforming to the recommendations made by the provider with respect to timing, dosage, and frequency of medication taking, and following these recommendations is important for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to fully benefit from disease-modifying therapies (DMTs).

Patients who do not have coronary artery disease but have fat around their hearts appear more likely to develop atherosclerosis, a team of researchers in Germany found.

Although variouis contraceptives are available for women whose baseline health is good, women who have chronic medical conditions have unique concerns.

Researchers examine whether patients with hypertension, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia saw improved health outcomes after Massachusetts Health Reform was implemented in 2006.

Despite the debilitating symptoms associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, an alarming proportion of primary care providers mistreat or overlook the disease in their patients

Prior studies have reached contradictory conclusions about how strongly low levels of total testosterone correlate with high levels of metabolic syndrome.