2008 Woodie Awards
Study finds early signs of heart disease
Issue date: 3/13/08
Lipid cores are large accumulations of fat that can be deposited in an artery, usually near a wall, and can serve as the "seed" for further plaque growth. Even a small amount of lipid in an artery can attract large amounts of cholesterol and other fats, eventually leading to severe fat buildup and atherosclerosis.
To measure known cardiovascular risk factors, blood was drawn immediately after the MRI test and again within a 30-day window.
Both high-density lipoprotein, commonly termed "good" cholesterol for its ability to reduce cholesterol buildup in arteries, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or "bad" cholesterol were measured and analyzed along with blood pressure and body mass index.
The study showed that the presence of a lipid core was significantly related to carotid wall thickness but not so much with other factors such as smoking and hypertension.
The association between cholesterol and lipid cores was still strong even in patients who used lipid-lowering medication.
Of the major risk factors associated with atherosclerosis, plasma cholesterol levels are strongly associated with the presence of lipid cores.
This association is still significant even after adjustments for carotid artery thickness, medication use, and the presence of other risk factors such as smoking and diabetes.
This study is particularly significant because it involved a large pool of ethnically diverse participants, so the results are more related to the pathological causes of plaque rupture and atherosclerosis than external environmental and lifestyle factors that are already well-studied.
This also largely corrected the biased results from previous studies of the same problem.
Ultimately, the results of this study can be applied to develop better methods of recognizing plaque formation before it endangers the heart muscle.
To measure known cardiovascular risk factors, blood was drawn immediately after the MRI test and again within a 30-day window.
Both high-density lipoprotein, commonly termed "good" cholesterol for its ability to reduce cholesterol buildup in arteries, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or "bad" cholesterol were measured and analyzed along with blood pressure and body mass index.
The study showed that the presence of a lipid core was significantly related to carotid wall thickness but not so much with other factors such as smoking and hypertension.
The association between cholesterol and lipid cores was still strong even in patients who used lipid-lowering medication.
Of the major risk factors associated with atherosclerosis, plasma cholesterol levels are strongly associated with the presence of lipid cores.
This association is still significant even after adjustments for carotid artery thickness, medication use, and the presence of other risk factors such as smoking and diabetes.
This study is particularly significant because it involved a large pool of ethnically diverse participants, so the results are more related to the pathological causes of plaque rupture and atherosclerosis than external environmental and lifestyle factors that are already well-studied.
This also largely corrected the biased results from previous studies of the same problem.
Ultimately, the results of this study can be applied to develop better methods of recognizing plaque formation before it endangers the heart muscle.
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burner
posted 3/27/08 @ 5:02 PM EST
Hope to see some tips appearing on the blog to complement your existing tips. Be nice to hear what issues you come across and of course it will be get to see the final,Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in most developed countries around the world, and the number of cases is rising constantly as a result of both modern lifestyles and increased overall longevity. (Continued…)
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