Cholesterol

Why cholesterol is actually good for you

Time and again you’re told that cholesterol is bad for you because it increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. But while there is no doubt about the harmful effects of cholesterol, it seems that this health enemy can also be a friend. In fact, our body needs cholesterol to function – in particular, ...click here to read more

American Heart Month: Enlarged heart, heart attack risk, sleep-heart link, cholesterol ratio

February is American Heart Month, which is the perfect time to brush up on your heart health knowledge. Check out some of Bel Marra Health’s latest articles that provide information on enlarged hearts, the risk of heart attack, how sleep effects the heart, as well as cholesterol ratios and why they’re important. Enlarged heart (cardiomegaly): ...click here to read more

Timing and planning of meals could impact heart health

The American Heart Association’s journal, Circulation, has asserted that the timing and planning of meals could impact your heart health. Habits including eating breakfast and planning when you will eat your meals and snacks are associated with healthier diets, which may help to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The frequency and time that ...click here to read more

Know your cholesterol ratio to prevent heart disease risk

Balancing your HDL—good cholesterol—and LDL—bad cholesterol—is important to help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, but how can you manage your cholesterol ratio? Read on to discover why a healthy cholesterol ratio is important, as well as how to calculate your cholesterol ratio, ideal ratios, the pros and cons of total cholesterol testing, ...click here to read more

Eating eggs won’t raise your cholesterol…?

If you’re aiming for healthy cholesterol levels, you’re probably avoiding foods like eggs and butter. But research suggests those once banned foods are safe to eat again as they won’t harm your cholesterol numbers. As you hit the age of 40, you are told time and again about the horrors of cholesterol as it contributes ...click here to read more

Natural ways to lower your cholesterol

High cholesterol can be dangerous as it contributes to the risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. Hence, lowering cholesterol is highly advised. Sure, you can take statins to curb your levels, but for some people this is not enough to get healthy results. It’s important that even if you are on cholesterol-lowering ...click here to read more

Drug may reduce cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetics

The drug fenofibrate has shown promise to reduce the risk of heart disease among some type 2 diabetes patients. More specifically, fenofibrate was shown to be effective in those diabetics who had high triglyceride levels and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels despite taking statins. Fenofibrate is commonly used to reduce triglyceride count, but the researchers ...click here to read more

Statins helps reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk: Study

A new study has found that patients taking statins – cholesterol-lowering drugs – have a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers from the University of Southern California and University of Arizona analyzed 399,979 men and women and found that those taking statins for two years or more had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s ...click here to read more

Parkinson’s disease progression slowed down by experimental diabetes drug

Parkinson’s disease progression can be slowed down by experimental diabetes drug. The researchers studied a drug that binds to the peroxisome proliferation-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist medications, such as GZT drugs, which has been shown to offer protection for nerve cells in animal models of Parkinson’s disease. PPARy regulates how the body uses fats and ...click here to read more

Cardiovascular disease risk reduces with lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure combination

Cardiovascular disease risk reduced with lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure combination. Study lead investigator Brian Ference explained, “[The results] demonstrate for the first time that LDL cholesterol and SBP [systolic blood pressure] have independent, multiplicative, and cumulative causal effects on the risk of cardiovascular disease. This suggests that a simple strategy that encourages long-term ...click here to read more

Heart attack or heart disease risk may be increased with raised yellow patches of skin around eyelids

Heart attack or heart disease risk may be increased with raised yellow patches of skin around the eyelids. These yellow patches around the eye often signify high cholesterol. The condition is also referred to as xanthelasma. Although cholesterol deposits around the eyes may not always signify high cholesterol, it’s still important to check your blood ...click here to read more