New Cholesterol Drug Could be Statin Alternative
11.03.10
Statins are the drugs most often prescribed to treat high cholesterol, but they often cause troubling side effects or are not effective. A new cholesterol lowering drug substance called eprotirome that showed no serious side effects could eventually be a statin alternative.
The American Heart Association notes that a staggering 102.2 million adults in the United States have blood cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or greater. This value is recognized as the dividing line between “normal” and “borderline-high risk” (200 to 239 mg/dL). Of the 102.2, about 35.7 million American adults have levels of 240 mg/dL or higher, which is considered high risk.
People with high cholesterol have about twice the risk of the number one killer in America-- heart disease --as people who have optimal levels, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). High cholesterol is also a risk factor for stroke.
A team of researchers from Karolinska Institutet and several other centers have found that a substance called eprotirome can reduce blood cholesterol levels by acting specifically on the liver, which is the main cholesterol-producing site in the body. They made this discovery during a three-month trial that included 189 patients who had already been treated with statins.
Source: eMaxHealth
Trouble swallowing is never an imagined problem
03.03.10
Dear Dr. Donohue: My wife chokes quite a lot when she eats or
drinks. This started a few months ago. There are times I nearly
start to do a Heimlich maneuver on her. It really scares me, and I
know it does her, too. Could it be a nerve problem?
- A.C.
A: People with a swallowing problem are not imagining the
problem, and have little to no control over it. Rarely does it get
better on its own.
Swallowing takes place almost automatically, with no thought
given to it. However, it is a complicated process. First, the
tongue has to push food to the back of the mouth. The swallowing
muscles of the throat are then activated, and they propel food into
the swallowing tube, the esophagus. It has a muscular wall that
forces food down and into the stomach. Things can go wrong at any
stage of this process.
Tumors can obstruct food and drink. Calcium spurs originating
from the backbones can press on the throat and esophagus to put a
halt to the downward progression of food. Webs of tissue can cause
food to hang up. Nerves involved in controlling the swallowing
muscles can go on the blink.
Source: Herald & Review
Cholesterol Drugs May Fight Asthma, Too
05.03.10
Once again, cholesterol-lowering statin drugs have been shown to be good for more than the heart.
Already linked to a reduced risk of rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and cancer, statins also may help people with asthma breathe easier, researchers report.
In a 70-person study, the use of statins was associated with improvements in lung function.
Patients were also less likely to use rescue inhaler medications that provide short-acting, quick relief when symptoms flare when they were on statins than when they weren't taking the drugs.
Odelya E. Pagovich, MD, of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, presented the findings at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology annual meeting.
About 21 million Americans suffer from asthma, which is caused by inflammation and swelling of the airways. The inflammation, in turn, can cause excessive mucus production and narrowing of the airways, resulting in asthma symptoms such
Source: CBS News
