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University of Alberta researchers report breakthrough in lowering bad cholesterol, fatty acid levels
January 10, 2008Discovery could lead to new treatments for heart disease, diabetes
There is "heartening" news out of the University of Alberta for those who may have overindulged during the recent holidays.
U of A medical researchers have found a way to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol and fatty acids that end up in the blood from food the body metabolizes, a key discovery that could lead to new drugs to treat and reverse the effects of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease related to obesity.
In a series of recently published articles,* Dr. Richard Lehner and his colleagues report they successfully decreased the level of LDL (low-density lipids) - the so-called bad cholesterol - in the blood of mice and hamsters by manipulating a particular enzyme.
It's well-known that eating too much fat and sugar and too little exercise will make you fat, and that obesity often leads to diabetes and heart disease. Lehner's group studied the mechanisms behind this.
"We established the proof of principle of how these metabolic pathways work," he says. "We discovered the activity of an enzyme that releases fatty acids from fat cells and the liver into the blood and how to inhibit this from happening."
Drugs called statins are used to lower LDL levels in patients, but do not treat obesity. What makes the U of A researchers' findings noteworthy is their discovery of how to inhibit LDL and triglycerides, which are another form of fat in the blood and a leading risk in obesity-related Type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease.
Lehner is director of the Group on Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids in the U of A's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. The research is being supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Lehner is also a senior scholar for the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
"There is a substantial pharmacological interest in the enzymes that control TG (triglycerides - fatty acids) and cholesterol metabolism in tissues," he says.
This unique discovery is an important scientific breakthrough, but one that requires further testing, he notes.
He also notes that a pill would not be "a magic bullet." People still need to make the right lifestyle choices by exercising and eating properly, he says.
University of Alberta
In a series of recently published articles,* Dr. Richard Lehner and his colleagues report they successfully decreased the level of LDL (low-density lipids) - the so-called bad cholesterol - in the blood of mice and hamsters by manipulating a particular enzyme.
It's well-known that eating too much fat and sugar and too little exercise will make you fat, and that obesity often leads to diabetes and heart disease. Lehner's group studied the mechanisms behind this.
"We established the proof of principle of how these metabolic pathways work," he says. "We discovered the activity of an enzyme that releases fatty acids from fat cells and the liver into the blood and how to inhibit this from happening."
Drugs called statins are used to lower LDL levels in patients, but do not treat obesity. What makes the U of A researchers' findings noteworthy is their discovery of how to inhibit LDL and triglycerides, which are another form of fat in the blood and a leading risk in obesity-related Type 2 diabetes as well as heart disease.
Lehner is director of the Group on Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids in the U of A's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. The research is being supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Lehner is also a senior scholar for the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
"There is a substantial pharmacological interest in the enzymes that control TG (triglycerides - fatty acids) and cholesterol metabolism in tissues," he says.
This unique discovery is an important scientific breakthrough, but one that requires further testing, he notes.
He also notes that a pill would not be "a magic bullet." People still need to make the right lifestyle choices by exercising and eating properly, he says.
University of Alberta
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Study raises concerns about outdoor second-hand smoke
Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard.
Night Beat, Overtime and a Disrupted Sleep Pattern Can Harm Officers' Health
A police officer who works the night shift, typically from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m., already is at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good "night's" sleep.
Your Own Stem Cells Can Treat Heart Disease
The largest national stem cell study for heart disease showed the first evidence that transplanting a potent form of adult stem cells into the heart muscle of subjects with severe angina results in less pain and an improved ability to walk. The transplant subjects also experienced fewer deaths than those who didn't receive stem cells.
Vitamin B niacin offers no extra benefit to statin therapy in seniors already diagnosed with CAD
The routine prescription of extended-release niacin, a B vitamin (1,500 milligrams daily), in combination with traditional cholesterol-lowering therapy offers no extra benefit in correcting arterial narrowing and diminishing plaque buildup in seniors who already have coronary artery disease, a new vascular imaging study from Johns Hopkins experts shows.
Heart and bone damage from low vitamin D tied to declines in sex hormones
Researchers at Johns Hopkins are reporting what is believed to be the first conclusive evidence in men that the long-term ill effects of vitamin D deficiency are amplified by lower levels of the key sex hormone estrogen, but not testosterone.
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