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Tag: Cholesterol

  • ‘Saturated Fat No Link With Cholesterol Heart Attack

    ‘Saturated Fats‘ has been accepted universally as the culprit for the increase in Cholesterol and t=increases the risk of heart Attacks has now been questioned.

    In fact the medicines one takes to reduce the Saturated fats, increases the  risk of a Heart Attack.

    This is how one can understand Cholesterol report
    Reading Cholesterol Levels.

    A couple of days I ago had my Annual Medical Check up.

    The report indicated that there was a slight Liver damage.

    I have no issues with the Liver and I do not Drink nor do I have a History of any problem with Liver Function.

    The Consulting Doctor opined that there i nothing to worry as the slight damage will be self-regulated by the Liver( Liver is an Organ which repairs itself with out our being aware of it, and is also the reason when we come to know of Liver damage , it is late.

    On being asked about the values of the Test Result, the doctor explained that this Liver damage could br due to the Statins medications I have been taking to control  Cholesterol.

    ( please read my post on Understanding your Health reports).

    Now to begin with as far as I could get information Fats i general do not have anything to do with Heart Attacks and Cholesterol has no link with Heart attacks.

    Now information is on that

    ‘

    Scientists universally accept that trans fats—found in many fast foods, bakery products, and margarines—increase the risk of cardiovascular disease through inflammatory processes.1 But “saturated fat” is another story. The mantra that saturated fat must be removed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease has dominated dietary advice and guidelines for almost four decades.

    Yet scientific evidence shows that this advice has, paradoxically, increased our cardiovascular risks. Furthermore, the government’s obsession with levels of total cholesterol, which has led to the overmedication of millions of people with statins, has diverted our attention from the more egregious risk factor of atherogenic dyslipidaemia.

    Saturated fat has been demonised ever since Ancel Keys’s landmark “seven countries” study in 1970.2 This concluded that a correlation existed between the incidence of coronary heart disease and total cholesterol concentrations, which then correlated with the proportion of energy provided by saturated fat. But correlation is not causation. Nevertheless, we were advised to cut fat intake to 30% of total energy and saturated fat to 10%.”3 The aspect of dietary saturated fat that is believed to have the greatest influence on cardiovascular risk is elevated concentrations of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Yet the reduction in LDL cholesterol from reducing saturated fat intake seems to be specific to large, buoyant (type A) LDL particles, when in fact it is the small, dense (type B) particles (responsive to carbohydrate intake) that are implicated in cardiovascular disease.4

    Indeed, recent prospective cohort studies have not supported any significant association between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular risk.5 Instead, saturated fat has been found to be protective. The source of the saturated fat may be important. Dairy foods are exemplary providers of vitamins A and D. As well as a link between vitamin D deficiency and a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, calcium and phosphorus found commonly in dairy foods may have antihypertensive effects that may contribute to inverse associations with cardiovascular risk.6 7 8 One study showed that higher concentrations of plasmatrans-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid mainly found in dairy foods, was associated with higher concentrations of high density lipoprotein, lower concentrations of triglycerides and C reactive protein, reduced insulin resistance, and a lower incidence of diabetes in adults.9 Red meat is another major source of saturated fat. Consumption of processed meats, but not red meat, has been associated with coronary heart disease and diabetes mellitus, which may be explained by nitrates and sodium as preservatives.10“

    ”

    he article points out that saturated fat is believed to raise levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (so-called “bad” cholesterol), which in turn raises cardiovascular risk.

    Yet only one type of LDL cholesterol seems to be associated with saturated fat intake, the article says. This type of cholesterol is called large buoyant (type A) LDL particles.

    The second type of LDL cholesterol – the small, dense (type B) particles associated with carbohydrate intake – is linked to cardiovascular disease.

    Recent studies have found no significant association between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular risk, writes Dr Malhotra. Instead, saturated fat has been found to be protective of the heart.

    He points out that dairy foods provide important dietary sources of nutrients that have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, such as vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus.

    Dr Malhotra’s article states that fat has been “notorious” for its higher energy content per gram in comparison with protein and carbohydrates.”

     

    Sources:

    http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6340

    http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/10October/Pages/Saturated-fat-link-with-heart-disease-questioned.aspx

    Related:

    Medicine has no clue about the linkage of Cholesterol and Heart attack.

    Please follow the Link.

    http://www.avoidheartattack.com/755280.html

    Gingely oil has been used by people of India for ages.

    To the best of my knowledge they did not get heart attacks.

    It is said that Gingely oil is good for over all Health including Heart.

    Best is to follow time tested Food Habits that have been arrived at by the society over hundreds of years by the process of elimination, taking into account the climate as well.These will vary from Region to Region.

    Let us follow them.

    A recent large government study found that raising levels of HDL “good” cholesterol using a drug did not reduce the risk of heart disease. ..

    As The New York Times reported:

    Patients taking the medicine along with Zocor had higher levels of H.D.L. and lower levels of triglycerides, a fat in the blood. Despite these seeming improvements, the patients fared no better and may have done slightly worse than those taking Zocor alone. That is why the entire theory behind trying to increase H.D.L. levels in patients with heart disease may need rethinking…

    http://ramanisblog.in/2011/08/14/cholesterol-and-heart-attack-not-linked/

  • Understanding Cholesterol Infographic

    Understanding cholesterol  may even increase your Blood pressure.

    LDL,HDL,Ratio, tend to be on the higher side etc will make you confused.

    Here is an Infographic.

    Cholesterol.
    Understanding Cholesterol. from Tumblr.

    s Cholesterol Good or Bad?

    Just as homemade oil-and-vinegar dressing separates into a watery pool with a fat-slick topping, so also would fats and cholesterol if they were dumped directly into the blood. To solve this dilemma, the body transports fat and cholesterol by coating them with a water-soluble “bubble” of protein. This protein-fat bubble is called a lipoprotein.

    • Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) carry cholesterol to the tissues. This is “bad” cholesterol, since high LDL levels are linked to increased risk for heart disease.
    • High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) carry excess cholesterol back to the liver, which processes and excretes the cholesterol. HDLs are “good” cholesterol: The more HDL you have, the lower your risk for developing heart disease.
    • HDLs and LDLs are found only in your blood, not in food.

    Test Your Cholesterol

    Your risk for heart disease can be assessed with a blood-cholesterol test. In this test, your total-cholesterol reading should approximate the sum of your LDL, HDL, and other lipoproteins. If you have 3.5 milligrams of total cholesterol, or less, for every 1 milligram of HDLs, then your cholesterol ratio is ideal. According to guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program:

    • Total cholesterol should remain below 200 mg/dL, unless HDL is high.
    • LDL should be lower than 130 mg/dL.
    • HDL should be 40 mg/dl or higher.

    However, if you have any risk factors for heart disease, you’ll want to get your LDL even lower, less than 100 is optimal, and less than 70 is targeted in people who have heart disease.

    Which Fats Are Saturated?

    Saturated fats increase your total cholesterol levels and are generally associated with an increased risk of heart disease.  In general, the harder a fat, the more saturated it is. Beef and dairy fats are mostly saturated fats. Liquid oils are usually unsaturated fats, including monounsaturated fats in olive and canola oils and polyunsaturated fats in safflower, corn, soybean, and fish oils. Coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils are exceptions to the rule; these liquid vegetable oils are highly saturated fats.

    Fear of Frying

    Eating foods with a lot of saturated fat may raise your risk for heart disease; this causes the amount of bad LDLs in your blood to increase while good HDLs decrease. Cut the saturated fat, and your blood-cholesterol levels and your risk for heart disease can fall, too. Your risk for cancer also decreases. A diet with more polyunsaturated fats, rather than saturated fats, lowers total blood-cholesterol levels, but unfortunately also drops HDL levels, so you lose both good and bad cholesterol. Olive oil is another story. This oil lowers total-blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol without causing HDL levels to drop. By using olive oil, you can decrease your total-cholesterol levels while maintaining your HDL levels, thus decreasing your risk for heart disease. Fish also lowers heart disease risk. Consequently, olive and fish are the oils of choice.

    Hydrogenated fats are liquid vegetable oils made creamy when manufacturers convert some of the unsaturated fats into saturated ones through a process called “hydrogenation.” This process also rearranges the molecular shape of the remaining unsaturated fats. The resulting shape is an abnormal “trans” shape.

    Trans fatty acids constitute up to 60% of the fat in processed foods containing hydrogenated fats. TFAs raise blood cholesterol levels and increase heart disease risk even more than saturated fats. Knowing your fats gives you an edge when it comes to buying and preparing the right foods to eat. And when you steer away from the saturated fats and trans fatty acids, you can live a heart-healthy life. The bottom line is:

    * I do not believe in Cholesterol Non sense.

    Related Articles

     

  • Cholesterol Control Drug Causes Cancer

    Liptitor Atorvastain Tablet
    January 12, 2012 — According to a new analysis of data from the Women’s Health Initiative, post-menopausal women who were taking a statin medication had a 50% increased risk of developing Type-2 diabetes. Statins are a type of cholestorol-lowering medication, and include Lipitor, Levacor, Zocor, Pravachol, Crestor and more. The increased risk was found for all statins.

    The best-selling statin is atorvastatin which in 2003 became the best-selling pharmaceutical in history, with Pfizer reporting sales of US$12.4 billion in 2008., is now fond to be a cause for Breast Cancer in women.

    Earlier Studies were conducted  on women for Five years, did not reveal any contradictions, side effects.

    But recent research has proved that Statin causes Breast Cancer, in addition to Myositis and myopathy,and  Diabetes

    Women who take statins for more than a decade face double the risk of contracting the most common type of breast cancer.

    Alarming findings raise new concerns over the long-term safety of a widely prescribed medicine in the UK.

    Previous studies have suggested the cholesterol-lowering drugs, used by an estimated eight million men and women, can reduce the risk of certain cancers – including the breast form of the disease.

    However, most research looked at patients who had only been on them for five years or less.

    The latest findings identified invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) which starts in the ducts of the breast before spreading inwards. It accounts for around seven out of ten breast cancer cases.

    The experts at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre in Seattle, US, also found the chances of getting invasive lobular carcinoma, which accounts for ten to 15 per cent of breast cancers, went up almost 2.5 times in some women on statins long-term.

    Around 48,000 women in Britain are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, equal to around 130 a day. A woman has a one in nine chance of developing the disease at some point in her life.

    The reasons why the anti-cholesterol pills might stimulate cancer growth are unclear.

    The researchers said one explanation may be that statins affect hormone regulation in the body, especially as the study found women on the drugs were significantly more likely to suffer cancers driven by the hormone oestrogen.

     Atorvastain causes the following side effects.

    Atorvastatin may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:

    • diarrhea
    • constipation
    • gas
    • headache
    • joint pain
    • forgetfulness or memory loss
    • confusion

    Some side effects can be serious. The following symptoms are uncommon, but if you experience any of them, call your doctor or get emergency medical help immediately:

    • muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness
    • lack of energy
    • fever
    • chest pain
    • nausea
    • extreme tiredness
    • weakness
    • unusual bleeding or bruising
    • loss of appetite
    • pain in the upper right part of the stomach
    • flu-like symptoms
    • dark colored urine
    • yellowing of the skin or eyes
    • rash
    • hives
    • itching
    • difficulty breathing or swallowing
    • swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs
    • hoarseness

    Atorvastatin may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

    If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online [at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch] or by phone [1-800-332-1088].

    From personal experience, I can say that the  use of Atorvastain did not lower my cholesterol level and my Level went up by 15% after its use for 5 years.

    I was informed by the Doctor that Atorvastain was not responsible and increase in Cholesterol level was due to stess and my change of Lifestyle.

    I have told him that there was no such changes and I discontinued the drug.

    Now Cholesterol level is normal.

    We invite more disease by taking medicines!

    Source:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2370825/Statins-risk-women-Taking-cholesterol-lowering-drug-years-doubles-chances-common-breast-cancer.html

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/meds/a600045.html

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statin#Adverse_effects

    Related:

    http://ramanisblog.in/2013/05/24/ranbaxy-sold-adulterated-drugs-liptor-admits/

     

     

     

  • Indians Find Cholesterol By The Photo of The Back of the Hand

    Cholesterol is Good for You!
    Cholesterol is Good for You! (Photo credit: Mr Jaded)

    An Indian Research Team Has developed a new process by which the Cholesterol  level can be found.

    This is from The  Sree Sastha Institute of Engineering  and Technology ,Thanjavur,Tamil Nadu

    Story:

    Researchers in India have developed a total cholesterol test that uses a digital camera to take a snapshot of the back of the patient‘s hand rather than a blood sample. The image obtained is cropped and compared with images in a database for known cholesterol levels.

    Writing in the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics, N.R. Shanker of the Sree Sastha Institute of Engineering and Technology and colleagues describe how they have developed a non-invasive way to test cholesterol levels in patients at increased risk of heart disease. Their approach is based on the creation of a large database of cholesterol levels recorded using standard blood tests and linked to a standardized photograph of the hand for each patient; cholesterol is concentrated in the creases of one’s fingers. They developed an image-processing computer program that compares the image from a new patient with the thousands of entries in the database and matches it to a specific cholesterol reading.

    Measuring the amount and type of cholesterol circulating in the blood is an important risk factor in cardiovascular disease. Excess cholesterol not used by the body in making hormones and building cells is laid down on the inner wall of arteries as a waxy plaque, which can reduce the normal flow of blood potentially causing heart problems and increasing the risk of cerebral stroke. Total cholesterol is a useful early indicator, although more detailed testing that distinguishes between the HDL high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and triglycerides are needed for a more accurate health assessment of patients found to have high total cholesterol. It is LDL, so-called “bad” cholesterol that contributes to the formation of arterial plaques, atherosclerosis. The presence of different total levels of cholesterol can be revealed through image analysis of the skin.

    A non-invasive and inexpensive method for cholesterol screening would allow this risk factor be determined in much larger patient populations without the need for costly and inconvenient blood tests. The team will also soon publish details of the extension of this work to classifying cholesterol type using their approach.

    ###

    “Non-invasive method of detection of cholesterol using image processing” in Int. J. Medical Engineering and Informatics, 2012, 4, 223-230

    http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-08/ip-pct081712.php

    Related articles

  • 7 Ways Alcohol is Good,Unsupported and Dangerous

    If one goes through the article carefully , not a single reference to medical study has been provided.

    Cholesterol emboli
    Cholesterol emboli (Photo credit: Boonyarit Cheunsuchon)

    Looks as though some one has written this just to be different so that he can be noticed.

    To the best of my knowledge Medical professionals speak nothing about these ‘good effect of alcohol’

    On cholesterol. now there is evidence that cholesterol has nothing to do with Heart ailment.

    ”

    The saturated fat found mainly in meat and dairy products has been regularly vilified by health professionals and the media, but a new analysis of published studies finds no clear link between people’s intake of saturated fat and their risk of developing heart disease. In the new analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition January 13, 2010, which combined the results of 21 previous studies, researchers found no clear evidence that higher saturated fat intakes led to higher risks of heart disease or stroke.

    Those who are regular readers of this website over the last few years are well aware of my long standing opinion that saturated fats and cholesterol are not the cause of heart disease and this most recent analysis of the scientific literature has validated this opinion.

    The demonization of saturated fat began in 1953 with Dr. Ancel Keys’ publication of a paper comparing fat intake and heart disease mortality, and the misguided ousting of saturated fat has continued ever since.

    The idea that saturated fat is bad for your heart became so ingrained in the medical and health community, anyone daring enough to question this dogma was automatically viewed as a quack, regardless of the evidence presented.

    Instead, trans fats became all the rage and have since saturated the market. But times are a-changing, and in many ways for the better. Medical scientists have finally begun to take a hard look at the link between saturated fats and heart disease – only to find that there is none.

    http://www.westernherbalmedicine.com/nutrition/animal-fat-and-cholesterol-has-nothing-to-do-with-heart-disease.html

    Fiber in take facilitates bowel movement.

    Check with any Drinker,, he will tell you drinking makes bowel movements not easy.

    As to Neurological conditions,intake of Alcohol is contra indicated with medicine.

    In fact the main complaint against Drinking is that it attacks the Brain and the nervous system to make you tipsy.

    As to Cancer, growth of Cancer affects the Liver and degenerates it, an Organ that regenerates itself.

    Oncologists advise you to stop Alcohol for any type of Cancer.

    “Good cholesterol. Beer and wine can both increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Going along with this, it can also help to prevent excess plaque build-up in your arteries. This can prevent hardening and clogging of said blood vessels (atherosclerosis), which relates back to point number one. We’ll drink to that. Just be wary of the empty calories that are in beer, especially darker brews. The lighter stuff won’t be so unkind to your midsection.

    Arthritis. Alcohol can considerably lessen your chance of getting arthritis when you become old and wrinkly. However, booze is said to increase your risk of developing osteoporosis. So while a glass of wine might prevent your bones from getting persistently achy, it can make them more prone to snapping like twigs. It’s a fine line to walk, but you know what might help? White Russians. There’s milk and alcohol, together, and that means you can help your bones in two ways. It’s genius!

    Fiber. Being derived from grains, beer is actually an alright source of fiber. In fact, 500 milliliters (a little less than two cups) of beer can provide over a quarter of your necessary daily intake of fiber. Of course, too much fiber may lead to toilet trouble. Well, maybe not trouble, but at the very least it can lead to a lot of wasted toilet paper. You don’t want to blow your beer budget on TP.

    Certain cancers. Yup, even the threat of relapse and death from certain cancers can be reduced with a few swills of wine. Specifically, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and kidney cancer are said to be positively affected by-and maybe even prevented by-a little of the red. If it means you can avoid the difficulty and hardship of chemotherapy, why wouldn’t you down the occasional glass of Cabernet?

    Neurological conditions. According to a few studies, partaking in a little alcohol once in a while may help keep Uncle Alzheimer and strokes at bay. The proteins in the myelin sheaths that help guard the neurological pathways in the nervous system respond positively to the alcohol. Of course, too much alcohol has been linked to the death of brain cells, so once again, moderation is the key here.

    Life saving. Well, it may only be able to save you in one very particular way. Should you happen to ingest antifreeze for whatever reason, marathon-chugging vodka or whiskey could honestly save your life. The alcohol works by cancelling out the dangerous effects of ethylene glycol, the main component in antifreeze. Seriously!

    As a final note, these do not apply to former alcoholics. If you used to throw back entire bottles of whiskey every night for years and have since sobered up, there’s no way falling off the wagon is going to help you more than staying steadfastly on it. Stay strong!

    http://digg.com/newsbar/topnews/7_ways_alcohol_is_good_for_you