HOME >> MEDICINE >> NEWS
Researcher breaks down cholesterol mystery

You may not yet have heard of chylomicrons, but a nutritional scientist at the University of Alberta believes you will soon--especially if you care about preventing a stroke or heart attack.

Dr. Spencer Proctor says chylomicrons gather on arterial walls and may be as dangerous or more dangerous than low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in causing strokes and heart attacks.

"We were the first in the world to label chylomicrons remnants with florescence and visually show that these particles can accumulate in arterial vessels," Proctor said. "Our next goal is to figure out why they get stuck and whether or not they play a significant role in the development of coronary artery disease--our suspicion now is that they do."

Chylomicrons are metabolized balls of fat and cholesterol that enter the blood stream through the intestines after a meal--usually within about 15 minutes after your last bite.

However, because chylomicrons are processed so quickly, when a patient gives a blood sample after fasting for 12 hours or more, as per doctors' usual orders, chylomicron cholesterol will usually comprise just three per cent of all the cholesterol in the sample.

LDL cholesterol is the most prevalent type of cholesterol, usually comprising about 70 per cent of all cholesterols found in blood samples taken from patients who have fasted for 12 hours or more.

For this reason, most researchers believe LDL cholesterol, which is produced in the liver and delivered to the rest of the body over a period of days after food is ingested, is the leading culprit among cholesterols in the development of coronary artery disease.

However, researchers have also been at a loss to explain why 40 per cent of people who are highly vulnerable to suffering a stroke or heart attack have low or normal LDL levels.

"That's why we believe chylomicrons and their remnants are the key to solving this problem
'"/>

Contact: Ryan Smith
ryan.smith@ualberta.ca
780-492-0436
University of Alberta
23-Nov-2004


Page: 1 2

Related medicine news :

1. Researchers search for first sign of congestive heart failure
2. Researchers say breast cancer in Africa may provide clues to the disease in African-Americans
3. Researchers close in on breast cancer vaccine
4. Researchers discover link between insulin and Alzheimers
5. Researchers model brains electrical storm during a seizure
6. Researcher explores ways to make hypnosis a more effective therapeutic technique
7. Researchers track programs success in curbing aggressive behavior
8. Researchers confirm Vioxx nearly doubled cardiovascular risks in cancer prevention study
9. Researchers offer emergency workers a lifeline
10. Researchers discover genetic variant that may explain why women develop M.S. more than men
11. Researchers map the sexual network of an entire high school

Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Researcher breaks down cholesterol mystery

(Date:5/23/2013)... Former United States Vice President Dick Cheney served ... Paramedic Luncheon. , In front of 1,500 guests ... medics, saying, "I am delighted to be here to ... of the Year Award. I think it's a tremendous ... within a company like this because there are obviously ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... Spring and summer have always been motivation for people ... the city between Memphis and Nashville? In the last year ... has transformed the growing area into one of the most ... of vibrant, young professionals you are going to see demand ... owner of The Fight Shop, one of the city’s hottest ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... On April 29th, 2013, UV Technologies ... of H7N9 cases and deaths. The headline read, " UV ... Subside in Northern Hemisphere as Available Daylight Increases .” In ... reported. , Quoting Kevin McGuire, president of UV Technologies, ... budding in the spring and leaves changing in the fall. ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... York (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 Parker ... the rights of victims injured by defective medical devices ... Counsel Matthew J. McCauley has been appointed Co-Lead Counsel ... Mirena IUD Products Liability Litigation (Case 7:13-md-02434-CS). The Order, ... and Liaison Counsel are to submit their proposal for ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... EnvirOasis, the leader in energy efficient ... is pleased to announce its new line of Energy ... EnvirOasis has been a market leader in Fluorescent ... and has recently brought to market a full line ... is energy efficient lighting technology which produces a very ...
Breaking Medicine News(10 mins):Health News:Acadian Ambulance Honors Paramedic of the Year at Annual Luncheon 2Health News:Grass Roots Wellness Initiative Builds Muscle in Jackson, Tennessee 2Health News:Grass Roots Wellness Initiative Builds Muscle in Jackson, Tennessee 3Health News:Grass Roots Wellness Initiative Builds Muscle in Jackson, Tennessee 4Health News:UV Technologies Bold Prediction on H7N9 in China Comes True, New Cases End Without Aid of Flu Vaccine 2Health News:UV Technologies Bold Prediction on H7N9 in China Comes True, New Cases End Without Aid of Flu Vaccine 3Health News:U.S. District Court Appoints Parker Waichman LLP’s Matthew J. McCauley to Leadership Role in Mirena IUD Litigation 2Health News:EnvirOasis Lighting Announces Energy Star and Design Lights Consortium LED Products 2
(Date:5/23/2013)... 23, 2013  Haemonetics Corporation (NYSE: HAE ) ... & EVP-Business Development, will present at The Deutsche Bank 38 ... Boston, MA on May 29, 2013 at 1:30pm ... The public may access Mr. Lindop,s presentation live ... Haemonetics Haemonetics (NYSE: HAE ) is ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... May 23, 2013  TeamHealth Medical Call Center ... and nurse advice lines, announces its newly formed ... nursing and administrative leaders, provides clinical expertise to ... cost-effective services for hospital clients, physician clients and ... system evolves, it,s imperative to continuously advance our ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... May 23, 2013  Every day, their baby stopped breathing, ... his lungs. April and Bryan Gionfriddo ... true. "Quite a few doctors said he had ... April Gionfriddo , about her now 20-month-old ... would work, we would take it and run with it." ...
Breaking Medicine Technology:TeamHealth Medical Call Center Forms Clinical Advisory Committee 2Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3D printed device from U-M that restored his breathing 2Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3D printed device from U-M that restored his breathing 3Baby's life saved with groundbreaking 3D printed device from U-M that restored his breathing 4
Cached News: