Exercise plays an important role in lowering your cholesterol. But when you have heart disease, following an exercise program may be difficult to follow. If you are relatively stable, you may not have any problems with beginning a program. But if you have severe heart disease, this could present some problems with exercise. In any case, talk to your healthcare provider before you begin any type of exercise program. This article will provide you with some helpful tips in starting an exercise regimen, and what to look for when you might be overexerting yourself.

We're in flu season, and with all the media attention that the flu has been getting lately, everyone is either running towards their healthcare provider's office for their flu shot - or running away from anyone with even a slight sign of having the flu. But if you're taking a statin to lower your cholesterol, there's a new study that suggests that your statin may protect you from more than heart disease - it may help protect you from the devastating effects of the flu.

This new study, which was sponsored by the Centers of Disease Control, looked at roughly 2800 individuals hospitalized and diagnosed with an influenza infection through laboratory confirmation. Of those individuals, about 800 of them took a statin while in the hospital. At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found that 3.2% of individuals not taking a statin died from flu complications, compared to 2.1% of individuals taking statins. Statins are known to have healthy effects on the body - other than lowering cholesterol. Statins can reduce inflammation, which could contribute to heart disease if the inflammation is located within blood vessels.

While we need more proof before statins are administered to everyone with the flu, this information looks promising. The flu can be damaging to the body, and this is mostly due to inflammation induced by the virus and your immune system.

• What Are Statins?
• Other Statin Effects...Besides Lowering Cholesterol

With Halloween just around the corner, some of us may have candy on our minds. But if you're following any type of heart-healthy, cholesterol-lowering diet, candy may be on your list of "forbidden foods." Well, there's good news that comes out of all of this - especially for all of those chocolate lovers out there. A new study has found that the cocoa found in chocolate may be heart-healthy.

This isn't actually new to us, but this most recent study comes at the most candy-entrenched holiday of the year. The study, which was published today in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examined 42 individuals ingesting skim milk or plain mild mixed with 40 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder daily. They found that individuals ingesting the cocoa and milk mixture had reduced inflammatory markers, and an increase in their HDL. Inflammation has been linked to contributing to the formation of atherosclerosis, which can eventually limit - or completely obstruct - blood flow to vital organs of the body.

But if you're going to use this study as an excuse to indulge in chocolate -beware! This could add extra calories to your daily intake, and the individuals participating in this study also saw a little weight gain by ingesting this mixture. Additionally, remember that moderation is also important when following any type of diet - including cholesterol-lowering diets.

AstraZeneca released a statement today that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of Crestor (rosuvastatin) in children and teenagers aged 10-17 years with familial hypercholesterolemia. This inherited condition causes dangerously high LDL, or "bad", cholesterol levels and increases the risk of developing heart disease. The FDA approved the new indication based upon the PLUTO study (Pediatric Lipid-Reduction Trial of Rosuvastatin), which examined the effectiveness and safety of Crestor in children with this condition. Crestor is a statin that has already been approved for use in adults to lower cholesterol levels. According to AstraZeneca, the drug will only be indicated in children trying to lower LDL cholesterol when diet does not work.

• What Is Familial Hypercholesterolemia?
• Crestor: Basic Information