Is There a Sex-specific Association of Hyperuricemia with Cardiometabolic Abnormalities?

Research Paper Title Sex-specific association of hyperuricemia with cardiometabolic abnormalities in a military cohort: The CHIEF study. Background Hyperuricemia has been associated with metabolic syndrome, and the association with various cardiometabolic risk factors may be affected by sex. Methods The researchers made a cross-sectional examination in a military cohort of 6738 men and 766 women,… Read More

Advertisements

A Guide to Coronary Calcium Scans

Here in Australia, a number of organisations offer coronary calcium scans. What, I hear you say, is a coronary calcium scan? Why Look At Coronary Calcium? A coronary calcium scan looks for specks of calcium (or calcification) in the walls of the coronary (heart) arteries. Calcification can be an early sign of coronary heart disease… Read More

Lipid Profile, Cardiovascular Disease & Mortality Events

Research Paper Title Divergent Pathway of Lipid Profile Components for Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality Events: Results of over a Decade Follow-up among Iranian Population. Background Data regarding the impact of different lipid measures on cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mortality events is not consistent. The researchers aimed to evaluate the relationship between different lipid parameters and… Read More

What is the Association between Sugary Drinks & HDL Cholesterol in Children?

Research Paper Title Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Is Positively Associated with Baseline Triglyceride Concentrations, and Changes in Intake Are Inversely Associated with HDL Cholesterol Increases over 12 Months in a Multi-Ethnic Sample of Children. Background Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is linked to greater cardiometabolic risk in adults. Although longitudinal evidence is sparse among children, SSB… Read More

Two Hours, Standing & Heart Health

Standing rather than sitting for two hours a day may have a positive effect on biochemical risk markers, including fasting blood glucose and lipid profile, a cross sectional study has shown (Healy et al., 2015). The participants were 698 Australian adults who wore activity monitors that judged posture and movement, for as long as seven… Read More

PCSK9 and LDL Cholesterol: Any Good?

An editorial from the Annals of Internal Medicine in the April 2015 edition: In 2003, mutations in the gene encoding the enzyme proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) were identified as genetic causes for familial hypercholesterolemia (1). Investigations soon showed that PCSK9 was a key regulator of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol metabolism that promoted the… Read More

Do PCSK9 Inhibitors Reduce Cardiovascular Events?

Two investigational drugs from a new class of lipid lowering agents – the proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors – significantly reduce cardiovascular events, new exploratory analyses have shown. PCSK9 promotes the degradation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, so blocking its action increases the levels of receptor, which facilitates the clearance of LDL… Read More