[Doctor, Do You Know Red Yeast Rice?]

Doctor, Do You Know Red Yeast Rice? Abstract. We present cases of patients with high total cholesterol who wanted to use an alternative therapy for lowering cholesterol. An improvement in the lipid profile was found in all patients, and all tolerated the product made from red rice yeast very well. No side effects were observed. The patients who take red fermented rice consciously choose an alternative agent in the field of phytotherapy because they already have to take several conventional medicines and are no longer willing to use an additional drug of this kind. Another reason is that they no longer want to put up with the side effects they suffered from when using a common lipid-lowering drug.

Reaching low-density lipoprotein cholesterol treatment targets in stable coronary artery disease: Determinants and prognostic impact

BACKGROUND

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction is an integral part of the management of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

AIMS

To assess attainment of LDL-C goals during long-term treatment of patients with stable CAD, and to determine predictors of goal attainment and the prognostic impact of reaching LDL-C<70mg/dL (1.8mmol/L) in a real-life setting.

METHODS

Data were obtained for 4080 outpatients with stable CAD included in the multicentre CORONOR study. Five-year follow-up was achieved for 3991 (97.8%) patients.

RESULTS

At inclusion, a recent (<1 year) measurement of LDL-C was available in 3757 (92.1%) patients. LDL-C<70mg/dL was reached by 885 (23.6%) patients. Independent predictors of LDL-C<70mg/dL were diabetes mellitus, statin treatment, treatment with renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, previous myocardial infarction and short time since last coronary event. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for the composite endpoint (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke or coronary revascularization) during the 5-year follow-up was 1.31 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09-1.58; P=0.004) for LDL-C≥70mg/dL versus<70mg/dL. When compared with patients with LDL-C<70mg/dL, the adjusted HRs for LDL-C 70-99mg/dL and ≥100mg/dL (2.6mmol/L) were 1.27 (95% CI: 1.05-1.55; P=0.016) and 1.38 (95% CI: 1.12-1.70; P=0.003), respectively. When LDL-C was used as a continuous variable, the adjusted HRs for increases of 10mg/dL (0.3mmol/L) and 1mmol/L were 1.05 (95% CI: 1.03-1.08) and 1.21 (95% CI: 1.10-1.33), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this observational study, only a minority of stable CAD patients had LDL-C<70mg/dL. The patients who reached their LDL-C goal had the lowest risk of cardiovascular events.

The impact of multiple blood donations on the risk of cardiovascular diseases: Insight of lipid profile

OBJECTIVES

The reduction in blood viscosity and iron store were proposed to be connected to the reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among multiple blood donors. Herein, we evaluated the modulation of serum lipids levels in accordance with donation events. Furthermore, atherogenic impacts on the risk of CVD were investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 100 voluntarily male donors were included in the study. Fifty donors were multiple time donors (MTD) and 50 were single time donors (STD). Levels of serum lipids were determined and atherogenic indices including TG/HDL and CHO/HDL ratios were calculated. QRISK2 parameters were determined to evaluate the 10-years risk of developing CVD.

RESULTS

Among MTD, there were significantly higher serum levels of triglycerides (TG) and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) combined with significantly lower HDL level. These modulations were significantly correlated to the extent of donation. Both CHO/HDL and TG/HDL ratios were also significantly higher among MTD. However, only TG/HDL ratio was strongly correlated to the donation extent even when controlled for age, BMI and smoking status. Despite the significant difference in QRISK2 parameters between study groups, none of these parameters was correlated to the extent of donation when controlling for age, BMI and smoking status.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrate that multiple blood donation is associated with an unfavorable modulation of serum levels of lipids that is influenced by donation extent. This modulation is not associated with an increased risk of CVD but may weakly contribute in a higher risk for coronary heart disease (CHD).

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Zusammenfassung. Hypercholesterinämie ist einer der am umfassendsten dokumentierten modifizierbaren kardiovaskulären Risikofaktoren. Wir diskutieren die Grundpfeiler der medikamentösen Therapie bei Hypercholesterinämie in der Primär- und Sekundärprävention. Dabei stehen Indikation, klinisches Outcome und Verträglichkeit etablierter Therapien mit Statinen, Ezetimib und Fibraten sowie innovative Ansätze wie die Hemmung der PCSK9 im Fokus. Unser Übersichtsartikel befasst sich auch mit spezifischen Indikationen wie familiärer Hypercholesterinämie und Sekundärprävention bei Patienten mit kardiovaskulären Ereignissen sowie mit Therapieoptionen bei Patienten mit Statinintoleranz.

[Relation between structure and function, of the cerebral artery "carotid" in laboratory rat submitted to atherogenic diet]

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The aim of our investigation was the study of the pathophysiology of the carotid artery in cases of nutritional stress in male atheroresistant Wistar rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Were administered daily by gavage to experimental rats a high fat diet consisting of peanut oil, cholesterol (3%) and sodium cholate (1%). Throughout this experiment, we conducted monitoring of some biochemical parameters and the morpho-histopathology of the carotid cerebral artery. The results obtained are compared to those of control rats in the same experimental conditions.

RESULTS

We found that this fat diet resulted in experimental rats disruption of biochemical tests and tissular and cellular alterations in carotid wall. Indeed, the biochemical examination shows a significant increase of the parameters studied. Morphological examination revealed thickening of the carotid wall and histopathological examination of this artery, highlights the installation of a vascular remodeling from thickening of the intima-media to the installation of a probable atherosclerosis accompanied by a possible hyalinization and a net fibrosis.

CONCLUSION

At the end of this study, although notes that our fat diet could cause a metabolic disorder that can cause multiple tissue and cell damage observed in cerebral artery "carotid" of atheroresistant rats.