By first probing the way primitive yeast make cholesterol, a team of scientists has discovered a long-sought protein whose human counterpart controls cholesterol production and potentially drug metabolism.

Switching patients to more cost-effective drugs for cholesterol and blood pressure problems could save the UK's National Health Service a billion pounds over the next five years without compromising clinical care, according to a study in the January issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

New journal starts publication by looking at controlling the No. 1 cause of death

New results from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study suggest that girls as young as age 9 who are overweight are at increased risk for short-term and long-term problems that increase the chances of developing cardiovascular disease.

Monocytes and macrophages are prominent cell types involved in the body's response to the development of atherosclerotic plaques - a build-up of cholesterol and fatty material within arteries due to the effects of the inflammatory condition atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a disease of the blood vessels that causes many problems, including heart attacks. It is caused by a buildup of fat (lipid)-containing macrophages (the rubbish-collecting cells of the immune system) in the arteries. The presence in the blood of high levels of remnant lipoproteins, cholesterol-rich particles that are produced as the large lipoprotein complexes that transport lipids around the body are degraded, potently promotes the development of atherosclerosis.