Five advances in cholesterol management
There are more than 2,100 people deaths due to CVD each day in the United States — an average of one death every 40 seconds. However, lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk for CVD and stroke, according to the American Heart Association.
Cardiology Today presents five recent advances in cholesterol management.
1. An avocado a day improved LDL cholesterol.
According to study results, overweight or obese adults with LDL levels in the 25th to 90th percentile range and normal or well-controlled BP who adhered to a moderate-fat diet and consumed an avocado each day achieved greater improvements in LDL compared with adults on a similar diet that did not include avocado. Significant decreases were also observed in LDL particle number, small dense LDL and LDL/HDL ratio among adults assigned the diet that included avocado. Read more
2. Cholesterol-lowering medication use rose in US from 2003 to 2012.
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys indicate that use of any cholesterol-lowering medication rose from 19.9% in 2003-2004 to 27.9% in 2011-2012 and use of statin therapy increased from 18.3% in 2003-2004 to 25.9% in 2011-2012 in adults aged 40 years and older. US adults were more likely to use cholesterol-lowering medication as they got older, and use did not differ by sex or race/ethnicity. In 2011-2012, the most commonly used cholesterol-lowering medication was simvastatin (42%), followed by atorvastatin (20.2%), pravastatin (11.2%), rosuvastatin (8.2%; Crestor, AstraZeneca) and lovastatin (7.4%). Read more
3. Yoga may improve cholesterol, other CVD risk factors.
Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrate that individuals who participated in yoga experienced improvements in BMI, BP, LDL and HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and heart rate compared with individuals who did not exercise. Read more
4. Evolocumab combo bested standard of care alone for LDL lowering.
According to data presented at the American College of Clinical Endocrinologists’ Annual Scientific and Clinic Congress, monthly injections of evolocumab (Amgen) in addition to standard care were associated with additional reductions in LDL compared with standard care alone. Robert Henry, MD, from the VA San Diego Medical Center and University of California, San Diego, presented results showing that 420 mg evolocumab dose monthly reduced LDL by up to 52% in patients with type 2 diabetes, impaired fasting glucose or metabolic syndrome. Read more
5. Socioeconomic status, sex linked to difference in cholesterol levels
Total cholesterol levels were associated with occupational level in men and educational level in women, according to results of a prospective, population-based analysis of lipid levels in participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer study (n = 10,147 men; n = 12,304 women). Men in manual professions were more likely to have elevated total cholesterol compared with non-manual professions. Read more
Source: www.healio.com
