New Warning for Statins

March 30, 2012 | by

Statins, including Pfizer Inc.’s Lipitor, are among the most prescribed drug in the world, and are currently routinely taken by millions of Americans. They are indicated for people with high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol, and have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke in this population. Yet the FDA has just issued new warnings concerning potential side effects: elevated blood sugar, which is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, and cognitive impairment such as memory loss. The warnings will not be affixed to the outside of the bottle, but will be included in the package insert that comes with all prescription medications.

Statins

MyHeartMap Challenge Inspires Pennsylvanians to Map AEDs

March 14, 2012 | by

The University of Pennsylvania has been conducting a contest — the MyHeartMap Challenge — in which participants record locations of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout the state. The purpose of the contest is to raise awareness about the importance and location of AEDs, and to build a statewide database of AED locations.

MyHeartMap Challenge

New USDA Labeling Requirements for Meat and Poultry

March 8, 2012 | by

According to the USDA, as of March 1, most meat and poultry products in the U.S. will have nutrition labels [1]. The rule applies to ground and chopped meat and poultry, plus the most popular cuts of raw meat and poultry. The aim of the new requirement is to give consumers access to information that aids in making healthy choices.

Meat nutrition label

Q&A: What Do My Cholesterol Levels Mean?

March 2, 2012 | by

Question: I had my cholesterol checked, and I got four numbers back. Which one is most important, and what do the numbers mean with regard to my health?

Focus on cholesterolImage credit: Focus on cholesterol via Shutterstock

Hair Cortisol as a Predictive Biomarker for Heart Attack

September 14, 2010 | by

We all deal with stress. Whether it’s stress from a job, financial, or relationship issues, chronic stress has been linked to an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease [1-2]. However, there hasn’t been a biological marker that could be used to measure an individual’s level of stress. A recent study performed by researchers at the University of Western Ontario Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and published in the journal Stress has found that the level of cortisol in hair can be used as a biomarker to measure chronic stress and the risk of heart attack in men [3].