Cholesterol Blog

Grocery shopping does not have to be a chore -- especially if you are following a low cholesterol and low fat diet. Many low cholesterol, low fat foods out there that are healthy and taste great. Learn healthy eating tips and what to look for when grocery shopping.

We all know that high cholesterol is not healthy. For instance, it can contribute to causing heart disease, leading up to a heart attack or a stroke. But another question that is surfacing is whether or not your cholesterol can be too low. According to recent research, having your cholesterol too low may not be good for you, either. This article outlines the issues surrounding a cholesterol level that is too low, and whether or not this is something that you need to worry about.

Pistachio nuts are a very popular snack, and if they are the kind that are dyed, they often leave that tell-tale stain on your fingers that let others know what you've been snacking on. The good news is that you can now eat them (within reasonable quantities, of course) and not feel guilty about it. Did you know that pistachios are chock-full of nutrients, such as thiamin, potassium, fiber, phytosterols, magnesium and vitamin B6? Additionally, many studies are finding that pistachios also raise your good cholesterol, or HDL.

Out of all the statins on the market, Lipitor is probably the most commonly prescribed - and fairly pricey. Pfizer is the manufacturer of the drug, and its patent does not expire until 2010. Ranbaxy, a manufacturer of generic drugs based in India, has been developing a generic version of Lipitor, atorvastatin, which was to be ready for sale as soon as Pfizer's patent expired. Well, it appears that a generic version of Lipitor won't be available until late 2011.

Apparently, Pfizer has struck a deal with Ranbaxy so that, after Pfizer's patent expires, Ranbaxy will not release its generic version of Lipitor until the last months of 2011. Because of this, Pfizer gain over a years worth of profits from its brand name drug.

While Lipitor is not available in a generic yet, there are other statins available, such as Zocor (simvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin), and Pravachol (pravastatin).

However, if you are on Lipitor and looking for a generic alternative to come out soon, you're going to have to wait a few more years.

Believe it or not, there are a variety of foods that you can eat on a cholesterol-lowering diet. While moderation in any diet is very important, the most important factor in considering any diet that lowers cholesterol is watching the amount and types of fats that you consume. This article will help you to determine which foods are good for lowering your cholesterol, and which foods you need to avoid.

Having trouble fitting exercise into your everyday routine to lower your cholesterol? Exercise is an important tool in lowering your cholesterol – it lowers LDL cholesterol levels (“bad” cholesterol) and raises HDL cholesterol levels (“good” cholesterol). However, finding the time to exercise may be problematic - especially if you have a hectic schedule. The good news is that there are several helpful ways that you can divide exercise up throughout the day and still get the same healthy benefits!

Hot flashes, night sweats...those are just a couple of symptoms you might experience going through menopause. While hormore replacement therapy, or HRT, is the most reliable way to squelch these symptoms, many women - as well as healthcare providers - are hesitant to prescribe them due to their link to cardiovascular events. A recent study has shown that a simple cholesterol test may be able to predict the likelihood of someone having a cardiovascular event while on hormone replacement therapy.

There has been a lot of speculation lately about the involvement of high cholesterol levels with other parts of the body - such as the brain. There is recent evidence that suggests that lower cholesterol levels may also play a role in prostate health. Prostate specific antigen, or PSA, is a test used to detect the presence of prostate diseases and prostate cancer. Researchers of this study found that lowered cholesterol levels corresponded to lowered PSA levels. You can read about this study here.

Earlier this month, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a heart-healthy label to be placed on most whole grain products, including brown rice. These whole grain products contain soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and prevents it from being absorbed by the intestine and into the bloodstream. This binding lowers cholesterol and can help decrease your risk of coronary heart disease. You should be seeing this label on packages of whole grain foods in the grocery stores already, and you can read about this new ruling on the FDA's website.

Although there are cholesterol lowering drugs currently on the market that help many people prevent or slow the progression of heart disease, there are a small number of people that still experience heart attacks or strokes – despite cholesterol lowering therapy. While this has perplexed researchers for many years, a group of scientists may have found a way to help that small population of patients with a new drug in development called darapladib. It isn't out on the market yet - it has a lot of testing that still needs to be done. But if the trials turn out good, you could expect this drug to be used in reducing the amout of plaque that is formed on vessels.