Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune, D (Enquirer file)

Call in Homeland Security, Sheriff Simon Leis and maybe even the TSA. There’s a new “security hazard� on Hamilton County street corners –  hot dog stands.

At least according to Hamilton County Administrator Christian Sigman.

He wrote a memo to commissioners Wednesday saying as part of a paver replacement project outside the Hamilton County Courthouse the administration is exploring the elimination of the hot dog carts and newspaper boxes in front of county buildings.

“These are a security hazard and unsightly,� he added.

He did not list any reasons for the possible security threats.

At least one commissioner isn’t convinced.

Commissioner Todd Portune sent this pithy response: “Today I continued my due diligence on the below topic of current or potential security hazards in and around county buildings and purchased a ‘Medium Mett’ with grilled peppers and onions, ketchup, chips and an iced tea from the hot dog vendor stationed outside of the CAB (county administration building.) Aside from the potential risks to my cholesterol I could not identify any other hazards, real or imagined. I will keep you informed as I conclude my own investigation of the issue.�

On a more seriously note, Portune said he supports the hot dog vendors.

“I have always supported the vendors inasmuch as they represent small business enterprise at its core and they, along with the ready access to print news in the boxes, are traditional elements of a vibrant, urban landscape,� Portune said. “Moreover, both seem to be well utilized by the public. In the absence of well-documented security hazards posed by hot dog vendors and newspaper boxes, I am personally opposed to steps being taken to remove them.�

Gerald Boggs, a Cincinnati hot dog vendor for 30 years who currently mans the stand outside the county courthouse, scoffed at the idea of his cart being a “security hazard.” This from a from a guy who has seen guns drawn, knife fights and fleeing defendants shot with tasers. The 48-year-old Westwood man said the cart is his livelihood and he’s not ready to retire.

“”People would miss me,” he said. “I would miss them.”

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Posted in: Hamilton County

Tags: Todd Portune

Article source: http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/18/hot-dog-stands-threat-to-security-or-cholesterol/

A lot have been written about avoiding saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium. Increasing the intake of fiber through vegetables and fruits, and omega-3 fatty acids have been advised.

Nevertheless, many people are still confused on what works and what does not to keep the vascular system to function at its best.

When it comes to preventing or decreasing hypertension and high-cholesterol levels, diet-wise this is what some of the most solid research points out:

a) Sodium red flag – Reducing sodium may prevent hypertension by 20 percent with or without weight changes. When over 77 percent of the sodium intake comes from processed food, it’s probably not the salt shaker that keeps Americans over the maximum daily amount suggested for healthy adults – 2,300 mg sodium the maximum vs. over 3,400 mg average per day.

From cereals, TV dinners, breads, can soups to dressings you’ll find some with over 800 mg of sodium per serving – one packet of onion soup, dry mix has 3,132 mg of sodium.  Common sense: read the labels, buy low-sodium versions, hold the table salt and use more spices for flavor enhancement.

b) Potassium green light: The sodium counterbalance mineral, potassium, on the other hand, is way too low compared to the Tolerable Upper Intake level (UL) – around 3,200 mg/day for men and 2.400 mg/day for women vs. the suggested 4,700 mg/day.

Studies show that the more sodium intake in your diet, the greater the benefits of potassium to reduce blood pressure. Experts advise to increase the intake of raisins (1 cup has 1,086 mg of potassium), potato with the skin (1081 mg of potassium) as well as beans, spinach, yogurt, oranges, avocados and tomatoes.

The power of tomatoes is on the rise to improve total cholesterol and a better ration total cholesterol-HDL, good cholesterol. In a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, women who consumed over 10 servings of tomatoes based products a week (juice, sauce, raw, and other forms) compared to those who consumed less that 1.5 servings a week, showed the greater improvements.

c) Bulk up the vegetable protein: If the quest is to reduce blood pressure, plant protein has been associated with lowering blood pressure, particularly when soy,  which provides all essential amino acids, replaces carbohydrate intake.

Even though plant protein usually comes with the added plus of fiber, fiber has not been consistently proven to affect blood pressure. However, the evidence is different when decreasing cholesterol.

According to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, legume consumption including lentils, peas, chickpeas and other kinds of beans was inversely associated with lipid peroxidation and other inflammatory biomarkers.

d) Vitamin C, not just for the flu: Epidemiological studies suggest that increased vitamin C intake is associated with lower blood pressure. C goes beyond the heart muscle to affect overall muscle-to-fat ratio.  One study shows that higher vitamin C consumption was related with leaner body mass.  Likewise, the powerful C has been shown to decrease the stress hormone cortisol, which affects the heart health.

Add strawberries, broccoli, kale, bell peppers, spinach, watermelon, cantaloupe among other sources of natural vitamin C to your daily meals.

e) Flavonoids a proven cardio-protector: Flavonoids are plant-based phytochemicals , primarily found in fruit, vegetables, nuts, cocoa, tea and wine.

As reported by an article published in Advances in Nutrition and International Review Journal indicates that major dietary sources of flavonols may lower cardiovascular risks factors such as high blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, bad cholesterol.

In particular, a study where over 38,000 men and 60,000 women were examined to evaluate the relationship between flavonoid intake and cardiovascular disease, the higher the food intake of these phytochemicals the lower the risk of cardiovascular death, “Flavonoids intake and Cardiovascular disease mortality in a prospective cohort of US adults,” reports the American Society for Nutrition.

There are many type of flavonoids, so if it’s tough for you to get your five a day, at least make sure that you include the ones that give you more heart protection such as blueberries, strawberries, kale, broccoli, spinach, walnuts, cherry tomatoes, celery, garlic, onions, tea, red wine, chocolate, oranges and pears.

Low Fat Dairy makes the mark: In a study, low fat dairy food sources such as milk, yogurt and cheese showed an antihypertensive effect. It seems that calcium may positively affect the blood pressure response to salt.

The jury is still out

Surprisingly, the evidence on these nutrients to affect the blood pressure response for good or bad has proven to be inconsistent.

a) Fats: Saturated fats and Omega 6 fatty acids have been heavily blamed in the incidence of blood pressure response. The blood pressure relation has not been confirmed, but diets high in these fats have been linked to high cholesterol.

b) Mono-saturated fats: Studies have shown the benefits of this type of fat to increase good cholesterol (HDL); however, its connection with blood pressure response is not supported.

c) Carbohydrates: Certainly a rush of sugar does not do any good for a diet, but the link with blood pressure response has not been fully established.  Nevertheless, some studies show an increase in the blood pressure after eating sugary carbohydrates while whole grain has demonstrated the opposite effect.

Triglycerides, the most common body fat, are affected in a diet high in sugar and alcohol. This is particularly important since usually, people who have high triglycerides may have low HDL or good cholesterol, increasing the overall risk of having high cholesterol and diabetes.

d) Coffee: Studies show that people who suffer from heart disease may experience an elevated blood pressure response to caffeine intake. Nevertheless, a recent study found that the increment may last just three hours – regardless, always consult with your physician.  Conversely, caffeine does not affect blood pressure on healthy people.

Marta Montenegro is an exercise physiologist, certified strength and conditioning coach and master trainer, who teaches as an adjunct professor at Florida International University. Marta has developed her own system of exercises used by professional athletes. Her personal website, martamontenegro.com, combines fitness, nutrition and health tips, exercise routines, recipes and the latest news to help you change your life but not your lifestyle. She was the founder of nationally awarded SOBeFiT magazine and the fitness DVD series Montenegro Method.

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Article source: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/health/2012/05/18/marta-montenegro-blood-pressure-foodrx-what-works-and-what-does-not/

It says genetic tests haven’t shown a link between higher HDL and a lower risk.

HDL is the so-called “good” cholesterol.

One of the study’s authors tells Web MD that HDL is important tool for figuring out heart attack risk.

But, he says this research raises questions as to whether there are benefits to taking drugs to increase those levels.

Studies have shown that high LDL or bad cholesterol, is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks.

So the takeaway message from doctors, is to definitely lower your LDL.

The study is published in the journal Lancet.

Copyright 2012 CNN. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.kplctv.com/story/18527008/study-good-cholesterol-may-not-be-that-good-for-you

Researchers from the University of Oxford in England found the medication reduced the risk of major heart-related problems, such as hearts attacks and strokes, in men and women of all ages with heart disease — as well as those with no previous history of the condition — by about 20 percent.

The benefits of widespread statin use outweigh any known side effects, said the study’s authors, led by Colin Baigent, a professor in the clinical trial service unit and epidemiological studies unit at Oxford. The researchers said their findings should prompt a review of national and international guidelines on these drugs.

Current U.S. and European guidelines restrict statin use to people with at least a 20 percent risk of having a major vascular event within 10 years.

For their study, researchers examined 27 randomized trials involving 175,000 people. They investigated the effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statins by grouping the patients into risk categories and comparing results. The researchers specifically explored whether statins were used and, if so, the intensity of the patients’ therapy.

The study revealed that statins reduced the risk of serious vascular events by 21 percent in each of the five risk groups the researchers identified, including those at lowest risk for vascular disease.

The study was published online Wednesday in The Lancet.

The study’s authors noted the benefits of statin therapy outweigh any known risks. This is true even for those with a five-year risk of a major vascular event lower than 10 percent, they said, meaning “people who would typically not be judged suitable for statin treatment.”

The researchers said they found no evidence that statin therapy increased the prevalence of cancer or cancer-related deaths.

“Statins may produce small increased risks of hemorrhagic strokes and in diagnoses of diabetes, but the definite benefits of statins greatly outweigh these potential hazards,” the authors said in a journal news release.

Half of all vascular events occur in people with no previous vascular history, they said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently required label changes on statin drugs to warn of rare thinking and memory problems associated with their use.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health provides more information on statins.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.newschannel10.com/story/18487909/benefits-of-widespread-statin-use-outweigh-risks-study

Article source: http://www.670kboi.com/rssItem.asp?feedid=116&itemid=29850609

A day after a study in the journal Lancet challenged the long-standing notion that raising levels of HDL — commonly known as “good” cholesterol — prevents heart attacks, top cardiology experts differed on whether the research really means the end of the road for therapies aimed at boosting HDL levels to beat back heart disease.

Some, like Dr. Philip Greenland, said the new evidence may very well close the book on such efforts.

“After several blows to the head of this theory, it is on the ropes, or maybe even down for the count,” wrote Greenland, senior associate dean for clinical and translational research at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, in an email to ABC News.

Others, like Dr. Christopher Cannon, say the story might not be over yet. While he admits that the study shows that raising good cholesterol to stave off heart disease is not as straightforward as first imagined, he believes that drugs now being tested that aim to boost HDL levels even higher may hold promise.

“It casts some doubt on the benefits of higher HDL, but the real answers will come from clinical trials of new medications that raise HDL,” Cannon, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and senior investigator of the TIMI Study Group, said in an email. “We are testing a drug now… that increases HDL by 60 mg/dl on average — and that will hopefully answer the question on whether HDL is important.”

HDL levels are still an important predictor of heart health; for decades, doctors have used this measure as a way of predicting a patient’s risk for future heart disease.

“These data do not take away the predictive value of HDL in the general population,” said the new study’s senior author Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, who is director of preventive cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “Low amounts of HDL cholesterol have been correlated with an increased risk of heart attack.”

Naturally, this correlation made HDL levels seem an attractive target for drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease. To help doctors understand whether this was the case, Kathiresan and his colleagues looked at a group of people who had higher HDL levels because of differences in their genetic makeup. They compared these people with others without this genetic predisposition.

Based on past studies, the researchers expected the patients with higher HDL cholesterol to be protected from a heart attack. To their surprise, that was not the case; there was no difference between the two groups.

So what does this mean for patients? “Just because an intervention raises HDL, we cannot assume that this lowers the risk of a heart attack,” Kathiresan said.

This study comes on the heels of several other recent clinical trials that suggest that medications designed to increase HDL are not effective in reducing coronary heart disease. These trials examined, among other things, extended-release niacin and several drugs in an experimental class of medications known as CETP inhibitors.

Several of these studies are still in progress. Yet, none of this research has demonstrated that raising HDL is effective at reducing the rates of heart attacks and heart disease.

Article source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/HeartDisease/boosting-hdl-lost-doctors-differ/story?id=16373635

By Emily Selvadurai
Health reporter, BBC News online

Pamela Hammond regrets not taking blood-pressure medication which would have prevented her stroke

Pamela Hammond thought she knew her body; she knew when she was ill.

Pamela Hammond was wrong.

Walking to work one day, her legs gave way and she realised she was having a stroke.

“I felt the first niggle of a headache coming on and then before I knew it, my legs had given out from under me. It came on so fast it was was like a bolt of lightning.”

Pamela, from Yateley, in Hampshire, said had been warned in the months before to do something about her high blood pressure, but decided to not take any medication.

She said: “I knew that high blood pressure wasn’t a good thing, but I felt well.”

It is a decision she now regrets, although she also feels grateful that it was not worse.

“I am not quite as dexterous with my left hand now and I’ve got a little bit of a gammy leg and can’t walk quite as fast. But compared with what can happen because of a stroke, I know I am hugely lucky.”

Her story is not unusual.

‘Just like that’

A third of people with high cholesterol fail to take their medication, increasing their risk of heart attacks and strokes, according to the British Heart Foundation.

Pamela was 57 when she had a stroke. She admitted: “It’s so easy to see with hindsight that of course I should have got medication.

“I thought I was different. I thought I’d know my body and I’d know when I’m ill. But I’m proof now that I didn’t.”

It is stories like Pamela’s that have prompted the British Heart Foundation to launch a campaign to encourage to take their drugs.

It will feature comedian Tommy Cooper, who died on stage from a heart attack. His catchphrase “Just like that” will be used in leaflets, magazines and radio adverts.

Dangerous game

The British Heart Foundation say that having high cholesterol or high blood pressure are major risk factors for developing heart attacks and strokes.

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Professor Anthony Rudd, of St Thomas’ Hospital, explains what happens during and after a stroke

It is estimated that 45% of heart attatcks in Western Europe are caused by high cholesterol and 22% by high blood pressure.

They want to remind people how important heart medicines are – even if they feel well and don’t have obvious symptoms.

More than 30m people suffer from high cholesterol in the UK – while 14m are affected by high blood pressure.

Neal Patel, from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “Heart attacks and strokes are life changing, but we know that by taking blood-pressure and cholesterol drugs people can reduce their risk of these events substantially.

“Medicines for high cholesterol and blood pressure often do not make you ‘feel better’, as these conditions may have no symptoms. But they are working, reducing your risk of heart attack or stroke. “

As for Pamela, she says: “I’m on medication now, and I take it religiously. I leave my pillbox out by the kettle so that when I get up and make my first cup of tea I’m reminded to take my tablets, too.”

“I’d say to anyone who’s like I was and has been told they need medication to make sure you take it. You’re not given it without good reason, and when I think about how long it’s taken me to hold a fork again and get dressed by myself, I wish I’d spent those couple of minutes a day taking my tablets.”

Article source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-18085175

CTVNews.ca Staff

A new study suggests that just about everyone over the age of 50 should consider taking medications to reduce their cholesterol to cut their risk of stroke and heart attacks.

The huge study, published in The Lancet, finds that the medications, called statins, benefit even healthy people with no known heart problems.

The study, from researchers at Oxford University, found that statins safely reduce the risk of non-fatal heart attacks, strokes, and the need for angioplasty and other “revascularization” surgery by about a fifth in a wide range of individuals.

Though statins do carry the risk of side effects, such as elevated blood sugar, the researchers say that the benefits of widespread statin use would greatly outweigh those risks.

The researchers reviewed findings from 27 clinical trials involving 175,000 people who were randomized to take either statins or placebo pills. Most of the trials were supported by research grants from the pharmaceutical industry.

The participants were grouped into one of five groups based on their risk of having a major vascular event in the next five years.

The researchers found that statins reduced the risk of serious vascular events by 21 per cent in each of the 5 risk groups for each unit reduction (1 mmol/L) in their level of LDL cholesterol – the so-called “bad” cholesterol. The benefits were seen in both men and women, no matter what level of cholesterol they started out with.

In absolute numbers, cardiovascular events were reduced by 11 per 1,000 people over five years, for each 1 mmol/L reduction in LDL cholesterol

The researchers point out most statins can reduce LDL by much more than 1 mmol/L, so there could be even larger absolute reductions in strokes and heart events if statins were used more widely.

Even in those who were thought to have less than a 10 per cent chance of a heart attack or stroke, their already small risk was significantly lowered, mainly due to a drop in heart attacks rates and revascularization surgery rates.

There was no evidence from the studies that those taking statins had an increased risk of developing cancer or of dying from non-vascular causes. But there were small increased risks of a more rare type of stroke, called hemorrhagic strokes, and in diagnoses of diabetes.

“…But the definite benefits of statins greatly outweigh these potential hazards,” the researchers wrote.

The study authors conclude that treatment guidelines about who should and shouldn’t take statins “might need to be reconsidered.”

An accompanying commentary by Drs. Shah Ebrahim and Juan P Casas from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine says that since most people over 50 are likely to be at higher risk of cardiovascular disease, it might be ‘pragmatic’ to use that age of 50 as a guideline of when to prescribe statins, instead of doing costly medical tests.

The study was written by a group called the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ (CTT) Collaborators. Some members of the team have been compensated to participate in scientific meetings from the pharmaceutical industry.

The study was funded by the British and Australian medical research councils and the British Heart Foundation.

Comments are now closed for this story

Kathryn

I am so encouraged to read the comments by readers of this article. Just 10 years ago I believe the comments would have been very different. People are waking up to the fact that the drug manufacturers will go to any length (yes even bribing researchers with so called incentives) to create a market for their product. I also believe that physicians are beggining to stop buying into all the BS marketing that has been shoved down their throats for far too many years. Bravo to anyone in health services with the guts to speak up. No drug or pill can compete with good old fashioned common sense such as healthy eating habits of whole unprocessed foods and good excercise habits.

Doug ^^^ BC

Great.You reduce on risk,and,at the same time, you expose yourself to the side effects of the drug. It’s to bad that so many people are to lazy,or to stupid to live healthy life styles.They want to party hardy,then take a pill to un-do the damage.A pill that someone else is likely paying for. Here’s a news flash.Every single person on this planet has an “expiry date”.Spending mulitple billions of dollars to extend the “expirty date” of people who won’t lift a finger to take care of their own health is counter productive,and a waste of other peoples time and money.We may save a few lives,for a little longer.But for the same amount of time and money,we could save millions who have no food at all.Or even help build parks and fitness facilities in all of our neighbourhoods.Those facilites would be used by people who care about their health,and are willing to do something about it. The problem with relying on drugs,is,that with out the personal motivation and commitment to get healthier,drugs don’t really work.They just replace one problem,with another set of problems. Take them if you want to.But please,pay for them yourselves.Not everyone believes in,or wants to pay for these kinds of phony solutions when natural soltions are available.For free.

Elaine

Really!! We have become such a pill taking society and the drug manufacturers are just laughing. In saying that yes there is a time for medication if we are treating the root cause of a health problem not camouflaging it. We have to get back to the basics of eating clean and healthy foods and physical activity.

pete

Metamucil has also been shown to reduced cholesterol levels, especially LDL the “bad” cholesterol…………

me gillis

Arn’t there many lawsuites pending in the US because statin drugs may be connected to ALS and muscle deterioation in patients?As a percaution you can google statin drug lawsuites and see the other side of the storey. Some people say taking Co-ezyme Q10 with statin drugs will help prevent some of the symptoms, but most Drs. never tell you this.Do you think the big drug companies are behind this study?….just sayin.

Dr John Zielonka

I’m so pleased to hear that the people commenting on this study(?) are seeing it for what it is. Statins have terrible side effects including robbing your body of co-enzyme Q10, necessary for heart function. There are many better and safer alternatives.

Rob123

Cholesterol and heart disease have very little association. Hearth disease is caused by inflammation which is in turn is caused by poor diet (daily consumption of carbs and sugars which in the blood stream is all sugar), smoking, stress… You don’t have to look very far to find that research.Your body will naturally produce cholesterol if it needs it as your brain and cells require it for regular maintenance and repair. Why would you want to reduce something that your body requires? How did we ever survive the last 40, 000 years without pharmaceuticals.

Duke

Studies show . . . that statins are good or statins are bad.

Gabby

I think this is absolutely ridiculous. Had this study not been funded by a major pharmaceutical company, perhaps. But the fact that it is means that it’s completely biased. I work in healthcare and see people on literally hundreds of medications, only few of which are actually pertinent to their diagnosis. People don’t question their doctors (who see tremendous incentives from pharmaceutical companies as well) and are willing to take anything if it means they don’t have to physically make a change to their lifestyle. We need to redirect focus to encouraging healthy lifestyles. Decrease cholesterol, and therefore risk of any major cardiovascular event, by eating healthy, whole foods and exercising regularly.

May

My hubby has high cholestral – just a very strict diet and exercise did not work. He needs meds. Nice that they are available.

iou

high cholesterol is one of the biggest medical frauds ever. Do some research and find out how we’ve all been duped.

Geof from the West

Don’t Do It!!!Remember who funded this research and be aware of the multitude of side effects. If you have normal cholestral DON’T USE STATONS!!! Take it from someone who needs to take them and has to live with the side effects.

Selwyn Firth

The simple Vitamin B3 Niacin has been shown to be effective in lowering bad cholesterol and increasing the good cholesterol. It has two minor side effects, itchiness and redness, which can be eliminated if one takes aspirin 30 minutes before the Niacin.. Taking 500 mg twice a day is a lot cheaper and as effective as taking statins. Just do a Google search to find out more about this wonderful Vitamin.

Martin from Calgary

Funny that the non-drug alternative – high dose fish oil was not mentioned as way to avoid such expensive medication at a much cheaper price.I was on statins for almost 10 years and experienced a lot of the symptoms above including weight gain (around the middle) even though I was exercising and eating right. I have been off statins for 2 years now and have never felt better. I have been taking High-Dose Omega 3 fish oil for just 2 months now and have been feeling MUCH better than I ever did on statins. Much clearer cognitively, less inflammation and just an overall feeling of wellness.I hate when an article like this pushes the drug companies agenda.

kady

Seriously? Take a pill even if you’re not sick? Great fear marketing, big pharma! How about…. planting a garden and growing food with vitamins in them and stop eating the poison GMO food in supermarkets? Everyone should know where their food comes from, what it is and how it’s grown.

Scott MacKay

I find this very hard to believe as I have been given statins for the past 4.5 years. I now have diabetes, memory problems, vision problems, muscle damage and sleep apnea. A simple search on statins and these medical problems is alarming. Reports show that once I stop taking the statins my blood sugar will go back to normal and my sleep apnea will go away.I am now trying more natural ways of control of my bad cholesterol and triglycerides, like plant sterols, apple cider vinegar and other natural less side effect remedies.. The FDA in the US has now approved Plant Sterols for cholesterol management.

Josh

As a society we should be promoting a healthier lifestyle. Our Western diet is to blame for the increase amount of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. If we reduce these conditions we will improve our healthcare system as less money will be needed to treat. Prevention is always better than treatment. However, why change when we can easily take a pill to help combat the consequences of our “need” for refined sugars, saturated and trans fats and preservatives.

Rob in Calgary

statins made me very ill and it took several years to recover from their effects. Sounds like big pharma sales hype. These things are poisons for a significant number of people and should be used only as last resort under very tight supervision and monitoring.

Robin, Calgary

“Most of the trials were supported by research grants from the pharmaceutical industry.” Since the pharmaceuticals will profit from this wider use of statins, and there are side effects from this class of drugs, one wonders if a conflict of interest exists here and if an equal study by a “non-partisan” group isn’t in order!

Christine

Or instead of becoming dependent on pharmacological people could take responsibility for their health and eat properly, exercise regularly. There are dangers taking statins that include depletion of coQ10 which can increase heart attack risk as well as it can help increase risk of diabetes type 2. Know what you are putting in your body!

DR. MORTALITY

Do I hear a low-dose-aspirin/statin pill coming?

kimber

Bet the big drug companies are rubbing their hands together with glee. Sounds about right, make everyone take drugs regardless of whether or not they have high cholesterol or not. No back hand deals with the funding or trials at all.

island girl

“Some members of the team have been compensated to participate in scientific meetings from the pharmaceutical industry.” Enough said.

William

Why not just eat properly? There are many foods that control cholesterol levels without any need for drugs. I understand the longstanding reality that drug companies fund medical schools and that doctors are indoctrinated into thinking there is a drug for every malady known to man. We are a society that needs to take back our health from the grasp of drug companies and doctors who know no better than to dispense drugs when there are lots of great ways to better health simply by eating the right foods in your diet.

MikeInBC

I sure don’t know how statins would benefit me when Baycol just about killed me and now I get the same symptoms with every other statin I have tried (muscle deterioration which kills the liver).

Mike

I wonder who funded this study.

Article source: http://winnipeg.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120517/cholesterol-statins-heart-study-lancet-120517/20120517/?hub=WinnipegHome

(CBS News) We’ve heard it all before: There’s “good” cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein (HDL), that provides protective benefits against heart attacks and then there’s “bad” LDL cholesterol, which raises risk for heart problems in high levels.

Dark chocolate outperforms white chocolate in heart benefits study
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A new study finds that HDL cholesterol might not boost your heart health as doctors once thought.

The study looked at the genes of about 170,000 individuals, looking for variations in DNA that earlier research shows naturally raise HDL levels in those who possess them. After looking for these 15 genetic variations – called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) – in the participants, the researchers discovered none of these variations actually reduced their risks for having a heart attack, compared with people who didn’t have the variations.

For example, carriers of one such SNP, so-called “protein-coding change in the endothelial lipase gene,” have HDL levels that are naturally 10 percent higher than most people, an elevation that’s expected to reduce heart attack risk by 13 percent. But the study found they in fact had the same risk as non-carriers.

“It’s been assumed that if a patient, or group of patients, did something to cause their HDL levels to go up, then you can safely assume that their risk of heart attack will go down,” senior author Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, director of preventive cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, said in a news release. “This work fundamentally questions that.”

Kathiresan told WebMD that HDL remains an important tool for assessing heart disease risk, but the new research raises questions about the benefits of taking medication to raise HDL levels.

Cholesterol in the blood is carried by particles called lipoproteins, which come in different sizes and densities, according to the researchers. There is a well-established connection between elevated LDL levels and heart attack, and decades of research – including genetic studies similar to the new study – paved the way for the development of lipid-lowering drugs known as statins.

But research has been less clear on HDL, since a study more than 30 years ago found the higher levels of HDL a person had, the least likely they were to have a heart attack. Mouse studies since then have reported similar findings, but researchers haven’t been able to prove the link conclusively. The new study may provide the clearest evidence yet of the role HDL plays, the researchers said.

“Through our research, we have found that all roads that raise HDL do not always lead to the promise land of reduced risk of heart attack,” said study co-author Dr. Benjamin F. Voight, an assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a university written statement.

Experts commenting on the study appeared to agree with that sentiment.

“The current study tells us that when it comes to HDL we should seriously consider going back to the drawing board, in this case meaning back to the laboratory,” Dr. Michael Lauer, director of the division of cardiovascular sciences at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, told The New York Times. “We need to encourage basic laboratory scientists to figure out where HDL fits in the puzzle – just what exactly is it a marker for.”

American Heart Association past president Dr. Robert Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Aurora, told WebMD the new research casts more doubt on the strategy of raising HDL to lower heart and stroke risk.

“HDL levels are related to risk, but that doesn’t mean that raising HDL is beneficial,” he says. “What we do know is that lowering LDL has a big impact on risk, so the take-home message remains, ‘Get those LDL numbers down.’”

Article source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57436495-10391704/good-hdl-cholesterol-may-not-protect-heart-after-all-study-suggests/

They found that coffee drinkers seemed a little more likely to live longer than folks who drink no coffee at all. Regular or decaf didn’t matter.

That’s reassuring because a few studies in the past suggested coffee might be harmful. Results of the latest study are published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine.

WHY THE FUZZY RESEARCH?

Older studies weren’t wrong: Coffee can raise cholesterol and blood pressure in the short term, which in turn can raise the risk of heart disease.

But few studies have looked at coffee and the risk of dying of any cause, let alone specific diseases. Some of those that have involved too few deaths to make firm comparisons.

CAN WE TRUST THIS ONE?

No study is perfect, and like most diet studies, this one is just based on observing people’s habits and resulting health. So it can’t prove coffee lengthens lives. But experts say it’s the best look yet at this issue.

It involved more than 400,000 people and was done by the National Institutes of Health and AARP.

Researchers also took into account smoking, drinking alcohol, exercise and other things that can skew results.

HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE DID COFFEE MAKE?

Very little, especially in relation to bigger factors such as smoking.

Compared with those who drank no coffee, men who had two or three cups a day were 10 percent less likely to die at any age. For women, it was 13 percent.

A single cup a day lowered risk a tiny bit: 6 percent in men and 5 percent in women. The strongest effect was in women who had four or five cups a day — they had a 16 percent lower risk of death.

SO IT’S OK TO DRINK ALL I WANT?

Watch the sugar and cream. Extra calories and fat could negate any good from drinking coffee.

Doctors also suggest drinking filtered coffee — that removes the compounds that raise LDL or bad cholesterol.

Article source: http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/pour-it-on-study-ties-coffee-to/1bdef0c6b9d54252a5c83b989e27adc9