An avocado a day keeps the cardiologist away

Posted: 07 Jan 2015 11:00 PM PST

Adding an avocado to your daily diet may help lower bad cholesterol, in turn reducing risk for heart disease, according to health researchers. Avocados are known to be a nutrient-dense food, high in monounsaturated fatty acids. Previous studies have suggested that avocados are a cholesterol-lowering food, but this is the first study - to the researchers' knowledge - to look at health implications of avocados beyond monounsaturated fatty acids.

Blueberries: Small fruit delivers big reward

Posted: 09 Jan 2015 01:00 AM PST

Thinking about topping your morning cereal with a cup of blueberries? Just one cup of blueberries per day could be the key to reducing blood pressure and arterial stiffness, both of which are associated with cardiovascular disease. "Our findings suggest that regular consumption of blueberries could potentially delay the progression of prehypertension to hypertension, therefore reducing cardiovascular disease risk,"

Researchers dispute warning that drugs for high cholesterol could impair memory, cognitive function

Posted: 13 Jan 2015 02:00 AM PST

Researchers question whether there is substance to the US Food and Drug Agency's recent warning that statins could affect the memory, attention span and other cognitive abilities of people who take this drug to control high cholesterol. This follows a systematic review of 25 clinical trials incorporating nearly 47,000 people.

New study strengthens evidence of the connection between statin use and cataracts

Posted: 02 Dec 2014 01:00 AM PST

Few classes of drugs have had such a transformative effect on the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) as have statins, prescribed to reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. However, some clinicians have ongoing concerns regarding the potential for lens opacities (cataracts) as a result of statin use. In an article in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, researchers report increased risk for cataracts in patients treated with statins.

Vegetable oil ingredient key to destroying gastric disease bacteria

Posted: 25 Nov 2014 01:00 PM PST

The bacterium Helicobacter pylori is strongly associated with gastric ulcers and cancer. To combat the infection, researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Jacobs School of Engineering developed LipoLLA, a therapeutic nanoparticle that contains linolenic acid, a component in vegetable oils.

Only half of patients take their medications as prescribed

Posted: 23 Nov 2014 01:00 PM PST

Here is what we know: If people take medications prescribed to them, they usually get better. But only about half of all patients prescribed medication take it according to directions. Here is what we don't know: We don't know how to get patients to take their medications, despite many studies looking at the issue.

Chemical in coffee may help prevent obesity-related disease

Posted: 14 Nov 2014 04:00 AM PST

Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that a chemical compound commonly found in coffee may help prevent some of the damaging effects of obesity. In a paper published recently in Pharmaceutical Research, scientists found that chlorogenic acid, or CGA, significantly reduced insulin resistance and accumulation of fat in the livers of mice who were fed a high-fat diet.