Recent Longevity News for the seven days ending 8/15/07.  You should consult your doctor if you are taking any medications.

Testosterone Patch Benefits Women With Low Sexual Desire - Science Daily, 8/14/07 - "A total of 132 participants from the 2 trials were interviewed after a 6-month treatment period regarding their experience with the treatment. Results revealed a significant increase in frequency of satisfying sexual activity and sexual desire based on women experiencing the treatment as beneficial. Those women had an average increase in sexual activity of 4.4 times per 4 weeks. In contrast, women who did not experience a benefit had only a 0.5 increase in activity per 4 weeks"

Diabetes Drug Kills Some Cancer Cells - Science Daily, 8/14/07 - "Four weeks later, the p53-deficient tumors in mice treated with metformin were half the size of the p53 deficient tumors in control mice"

‘Western’ Diet Tied to Colon Cancer - WebMD, 8/14/07 - "Colon cancer recurrences or death were nearly 3.5 times more common among patients who most closely followed a Western diet than among patients who followed it the least"

Breast Cancer Decline Linked to HRT - WebMD, 8/14/07 - "For instance, between 2002 and 2003, HRT use fell by 34%. That lines up with a 13% drop in the women's rate of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer"

The Effect of High Calcium Levels on Prostate Cancer - Physician's Weekly, 8/13/07 - "the relative risk of prostate cancer for 2,000 mg/day or more of calcium intake was 1.63. Conversely, a 1.26 relative risk calculation was observed for ingestion of less than 1,000 mg/day of calcium"

Green Tea Boosts Production Of Detox Enzymes, Rendering Cancerous Chemicals Harmless - Science Daily, 8/10/07 - "In a study of 42 people, the concentrate -- composed of chemicals known as green tea catechins in amounts equal to that found in 8-16 cups of green tea -- boosted production of the enzymes, which belong to the glutathione S-transferase (GST) family, by as much as 80 percent in some participants ... GST enzymes are believed to be crucial to the body's defense against cancer-causing chemicals and other toxins, according to the study's lead investigator, H.-H. Sherry Chow, Ph.D., a research associate professor at the University of Arizona. They modify the cancer-causing molecules that would otherwise damage cellular DNA, thus rendering them inert" - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.  My favorite is green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Whole Grains vs. High Blood Pressure - WebMD, 8/10/07 - "Compared to women who reported eating less than half a daily serving of whole grains, women who claimed to eat at least four daily servings of whole grains were about 23% less likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure during the study"

Probiotics work out against constipation, says study - Nutra USA, 8/10/07 - "the frequency of bowel movements doubled over the weeks following the start of probiotic supplementation, increasing from two per week to 4.2 after two weeks, to 3.8 after four weeks" [Abstract]

Re-Analysis of Controversial Meta-Analysis Says Writing Off Rosiglitazone May Be Premature - Doctor's Guide, 8/9/07 - "Now, a re-analysis of the data used in the Nissen and Wolski analysis -- using different statistical models -- suggests that the earlier methodology may have resulted in inflated risk estimates"

Increased folate may slash breast cancer risk - Nutra USA, 8/9/07 - "women in the highest average intake group (456 micrograms of folate per day) had a 44 per cent lower risk of invasive breast cancer than women in the lowest average intake group (160 micrograms of folate per day)"  [Abstract] - See folic acid at Amazon.com.

Green tea may stop colon cancer in its tracks - study - Nutra USA, 8/9/07 - "At the age of eight weeks, the mice were divided into two groups - one to receive water or a green tea solution (0.6 per cent) as the only beverage source for a further four to eight weeks ... consumption of the green tea solution significantly inhibited the formation of new tumours in the colon" -  [Abstract] - See green tea extract at Amazon.com.

Testosterone Replacement Therapy - Science Daily, 8/8/07 - "Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) ... testosterone supplementation of aging male SHR promotes renal injury and thereby exacerbates hypertension. The results also show that removal of endogenous androgens later in life (eight months) prevents the development of hypertensive renal injury without altering existing hypertension levels"

Milk Helps to Gain Muscle and Lose Fat, Study Shows - Doctor's Guide, 8/8/07 - "the milk drinking group had lost nearly twice as much fat -- 2 pounds -- while the carbohydrate beverage group lost one pound of fat. Those drinking soy lost no fat. At the same time, the gain in muscle was much greater among the milk drinkers than either the soy or carbohydrate beverage study participants"

What Is The Role Of Thyroid Hormones In Sleep Regulation? - Science Daily, 8/8/07 - "If it’s too high, I have sleeping problems, if it’s too low there could be lethargy and weight gain"

HDL Levels and Particle Size: Does Size Matter at Both Ends of the Scale? - Medscape, 8/7/07 - "very large HDL particles would be associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease ... These data suggest that very large HDL particles no longer seem to confer protection against cardiovascular disease, at least when levels of apoA-1 and apoB are kept constant, but this lack of protection does not seem to hold true for apoA-1"

Abstracts from this week's Doctor's Guide Nutrition/Dietetics plus abstracts from my RSS feeds:

Vitamin D levels and early mortality among incident hemodialysis patients - Kidney Int. 2007 Aug 8 - "Compared to patients with the highest 25D or 1,25D levels who received therapy, untreated deficient patients were at significantly increased risk for early mortality"

Effects of thiazolidinediones on blood pressure - Curr Hypertens Rep. 2007 Aug;9(4):332-7 - "The magnitude of reduction appears to be about 4 to 5 mm Hg in systolic and 2 to 4 mm Hg in diastolic BP-sufficient to significantly reduce subsequent cardiovascular event rates"

The role of a probiotics mixture in the treatment of childhood constipation: a pilot study - Nutr J. 2007 Aug 4;6(1):17 - "The frequency of BMs per week increased from 2.0 (1.0-5.0) to 4.2 (0.0-16.0) in week 2 (p=0.10) and 3.8 (2.1-7.0) in week 4 (p=0.13)"

Folate: in vitro and in vivo effects on VLDL and LDL oxidation - Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2007 Jan;77(1):66-72 - "folic acid supplementation reduced tHcy and protected both VLDL and LDL against oxidation. These findings provide further support for the use of folic acid supplements to aid in the prevention of atherosclerosis" - See folic acid at Amazon.com.

Hemoglobin A1c predicts diabetes but not cardiovascular disease in nondiabetic women - Am J Med. 2007 Aug;120(8):720-7 - "HbA1c levels are elevated well in advance of the clinical development of type 2 diabetes, supporting recent recommendations for lowering of diagnostic thresholds for glucose metabolic disorders. In contrast, the association of HbA1c with incident cardiovascular events is modest and largely attributable to coexistent traditional risk factors"

Green tea selectively targets initial stages of intestinal carcinogenesis in the AOM-ApcMin mouse model - Carcinogenesis. 2007 Jul 17 - "green tea specifically targets initial stages of colon carcinogenesis; the time of administration of green tea is pivotal for effective chemoprevention. Beverage levels of GT are not likely to inhibit the progress of any large adenomas or adenocarcinomas existing prior to the tea administration"

Whole- and refined-grain intakes and the risk of hypertension in women - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):472-9 - "Higher whole-grain intake was associated with a reduced risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older women"

High folate intake is associated with lower breast cancer incidence in postmenopausal women in the Malmo Diet and Cancer cohort - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):434-43 - "Compared with the lowest quintile, the incidence of invasive breast cancer was reduced in the highest quintile of dietary folate intake (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.90; P for trend = 0.02); total folate intake, including supplements (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.91; P for trend = 0.006); and dietary folate equivalents (HR: 0.59" - See folic acid at Amazon.com.

Association of low plasma selenium concentrations with poor muscle strength in older community-dwelling adults: the InCHIANTI Study - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Aug;86(2):347-52 - "Low plasma selenium is independently associated with poor skeletal muscle strength in community-dwelling older adults in Tuscany"

Cardiac effects of l-thyroxine administration in borderline hypothyroidism - Int J Cardiol. 2007 May 9 - "subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with a cardiac dysfunction, even when this is very mild (i.e. with serum TSH still comprised in the normal range), and show that these abnormalities are reversible with l-T(4) replacement therapy"

Health Focus (HDL cholesterol):

Note:  I see a lot of orders for no-flush niacin.  I assume the reason people are buying this is to raise HDL cholesterol.  I couldn't find any research that no-flush niacin works to increase HDL.  It's probably a waste of money for the no-flush.  Just do a Medline search of  hexanicotinate HDL, hexaniacinate HDL or no-flush niacin.  Here are the the only studies I could find:

Accumulation of chylomicron remnants and impaired vascular reactivity occur in subjects with isolated low HDL cholesterol: effects of niacin treatment - Atherosclerosis. 2006 Jul;187(1):116-22 - "evaluation of no-flush niacin treatment ... Twenty-two low HDL subjects with reduced FMD were randomized into two groups, one given 1.5 g/day niacin and a placebo group. After 3-month treatment, plasma lipids and chylomicron kinetics were not changed by niacin treatment"

Varying cost and free nicotinic acid content in over-the-counter niacin preparations for dyslipidemia - Ann Intern Med. 2003 Dec 16;139(12):996-1002 - "Commonly used over-the-counter niacin preparations (500-mg tablets or capsules) from the 3 categories of immediate-release, sustained-release, and no-flush were purchased at health food stores and pharmacies and from Internet-based vitamin companies ... The average content of free nicotinic acid was 520.4 mg for immediate-release niacin, 502.6 mg for sustained-release niacin, and 0 for no-flush niacin ... No-flush preparations of over-the-counter niacin contain no free nicotinic acid and should not be used to treat dyslipidemia. Over-the-counter sustained-release niacin contains free nicotinic acid, but some brands are hepatotoxic. Immediate-release niacin contains free nicotinic acid and is the least expensive form of over-the-counter niacin"

I’ve been taking three grams per day of the immediate release niacin (Twinlab).  It raised my HDL from 39 to 57.  Then I switched from Actos to Avandia (both to prevent diabetes) and my HDL went back down to 47. I’m switching back to Actos when I run out of Avandia. I don’t experience any flushing from the IR anymore. I think it took a couple months to get used to it plus I built up to three grams gradually. The IR didn’t have any noticeable effect on my liver enzymes. My ALT is 35. My doctor thinks that’s great. Normal goes up to 60 but I read that you want it below 30 but the 35 was about what it was before the niacin. My father died of liver cancer so I keep an eye on my liver enzymes but my father drank like a fish plus he was 87 when he died.  See:

Elevated ALT Levels Predict Risk of Death From Liver Cancer - Medscape, 11/2/06 - "Upper limits of normal range from 30 IU/L to 60 IU/L, depending on the laboratory. "We want to reset it southward of 30 IU/L," ... ALT levels are a reflection of the general vascular condition ... If the level is above 30, then that person probably has a problem — fatty liver or some vascular disease, including occlusive coronary artery disease"

http://www.lipidsonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?tk=25&dpg=34 shows that with extended release niacin, HDL peaks out at 2,500 mg.  http://www.lipidsonline.org/slides/slide01.cfm?q=effect+of+niacin&dpg=4 shows immediate release crystalline niacin compared to Niaspan.  There isn't much gain in HDL with the immediate release crystalline niacin after 1,000 mg per day.  After seeing that, I'll probably cut down from 3,000 mg but from the slide it appears that there is a significant advantage to lowering triglycerides by going to 3,000 mg plus there is a linear decrease in LDL-C by going to 3,000 mg immediate release crystalline niacin.  This graph also shows that immediate release crystalline niacin is significantly better at raising HDL and lowering triglycerides compared to Niaspan.  Also see the slide titled CHD Risk According to HDL-C Levels.

I’ve never seen any studies on Niaspan and liver damage but it would seem like it would be similar to the slow release niacin. The only study I’ve seen on that is:

A comparison of the efficacy and toxic effects of sustained- vs immediate-release niacin in hypercholesterolemic patients - JAMA. 1994 Mar 2;271(9):672-7 - "None of the patients taking IR niacin developed hepatotoxic effects, while 12 (52%) of the 23 patients taking SR niacin did"

Be sure to see a doctor to have your liver enzymes checked before and after taking any niacin supplement.  See the bottom of http://www.lipidsonline.org/slides/ for some great slide shows on HDL.  The January 2007 Harvard Men's Health Newsletter has a good article on HDL cholesterol but it is a paid subscription.  See Source Naturals 100 mg niacin at iHerb and niacin at Amazon.com.

1. High Good Cholesterol Trumps Low Bad Cholesterol For Heart Protection - Science Daily, 4/3/06 - "Having a high level of HDL cholesterol -- the good cholesterol -- is more important than having a low level of LDL -- the bad cholesterol -- in protecting individuals from heart attack ... This study was repeated with stroke as the outcome rather than heart disease, and the same results were the same"
2. The Focus on HDL-C: Synergistic Effects With Aggressive Lipid Lowering - Medscape, 1/29/04 - "a 1-mg decrease in LDL reduces coronary heart disease (CHD) risk by 1%. Based on primarily epidemiological data and some clinical trial data, a 1-mg increase in HDL reduces CHD risk by approximately 3%"
3. HDL Cholesterol Level Linked To Longevity, Cognitive Function - Clinical Psychiatry News, 2/03 - "A group of centenarians maintained significantly higher than normal HDL cholesterol levels, and within the group the parameter was strongly correlated with cognitive function ... The centenarians' offspring were also significantly healthier than their spouses: They were half as likely to have diabetes or heart attacks and had significantly lower blood pressure. No strokes occurred among the offspring ... The presence of HDL might explain the health and longevity in these families. The serum concentration of HDL typically declines with age by a mean of 5 mg/dL every 8 years ... Had the decline followed the normal pattern, the centenarians' HDL would have been about 20 mg/dL. But the actual mean value in the group was 55 mg/dL"
4. Here's How to Get More 'Good' Cholesterol - ABC News, 7/28/06 - "raising HDL is likely as important as lowering LDL when it comes to reducing the risk of heart attack"
5. Erectile Dysfunction / Impotence - Prostate Health Guide - U. of Maryland Medicine - "Direct risk factors for erectile dysfunction may include the following: ... low levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein)"
6. Laboratory Investigations of Erectile Dysfunction - WebMD - "men with erectile dysfunction frequently have low levels of high-density lipoproteins, the good form of cholesterol."
7. Low levels of HDL cholesterol linked to breast cancer risk - US News, 12/1/04 - "Women with high HDL levels were 25 percent less likely to get postmenopausal breast cancer than women with low HDL cholesterol. The difference was even bigger for women who were overweight"
8. Overweight? Good Cholesterol May Fight Cancer - WebMD, 8/3/04 - "overweight, postmenopausal women with high levels of good HDL cholesterol have 67% less breast cancer than similar women with low HDL levels"
9. Two-Pronged Cholesterol Approach Works - HealthDay, 11/11/04 - "Niacin is the most effective treatment to treat low HDL ... Overall, combining niacin with a statin slowed disease progression 68 percent more than a statin alone. The combination treatment also resulted in a 60 percent reduction in heart attacks, deaths, strokes, and other coronary events"
10. Specific Plasma Lipids Appear Associated with Vascular Dementia but Not With Alzheimer Disease - Doctor's Guide, 5/19/04 - "Lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and higher levels of non-HDL-C and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) are associated with an increased risk of vascular dementia"
11. High-Density vs Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol as the Risk Factor for Coronary Artery Disease and Stroke in Old Age - Arch Intern Med. 2003;163:1549-1554 - "low HDL cholesterol level was associated with a 2.0-fold higher risk of fatal cardiovascular disease ... The mortality risk of coronary artery disease was 2.0 ... and for stroke it was 2.6"
12. Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) -- The Old Drug Is Making a Comeback With A New Act - Medscape, 6/11/07 - "Niacin (nicotinic acid) is well known as the most effective drug currently available for raising levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, raising it by 25% to 35% at the highest doses"
13. Exercise May Boost 'Good' Cholesterol - WebMD, 5/29/07 - "Participants who got at least two hours per week of aerobic exercise had a modest rise in their HDL cholesterol level ... the gains in HDL cholesterol levels translate to a 5% drop in men's heart disease risk and more than a 7% drop in women's heart disease risk"
14. Continuous intake of polyphenolic compounds containing cocoa powder reduces LDL oxidative susceptibility and has beneficial effects on plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in humans - Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):709-17 - "A significantly greater increase in plasma HDL cholesterol (24%) was observed in the cocoa group than in the control group (5%)"
15. An Old Cholesterol Remedy Is New Again - New York Times, 1/23/07 - "In its therapeutic form, nicotinic acid, niacin can increase HDL as much as 35 percent when taken in high doses, usually about 2,000 milligrams per day. It also lowers LDL, though not as sharply as statins do, and it has been shown to reduce serum levels of artery-clogging triglycerides as much as 50 percent ... There’s a great unfilled need for something that raises HDL ... Right now, in the wake of the failure of torcetrapib, niacin is really it. Nothing else available is that effective" - See niacin at Amazon.com.
16. What is the dietary treatment for low HDL cholesterol? - J Fam Pract. 2006 Dec;55(12):1076-8 - "Low-carbohydrate diets raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels by approximately 10%; soy protein with isoflavones raises HDL by 3% ... Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and multivitamin supplementation raise HDL 21% to 33%"
17. Research shows benefits of cranberries -MSNBC, 11/20/06 - "Drinking cranberry juice daily may increase levels of HDL, or good cholesterol and reduce levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol" - See cranberry supplements at Amazon.com.
18. Favourable impact of low-calorie cranberry juice consumption on plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in men - Br J Nutr. 2006 Aug;96(2):357-64 - "daily CJC consumption is associated with an increase in plasma HDL-cholesterol concentrations in abdominally obese men. We hypothesise that polyphenolic compounds from cranberries may be responsible for this effect, supporting the notion that the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods can be cardioprotective"
19. Comparative Effects on Lipid Levels of Niaspan and Statins - Medscape, 7/28/06 - "Niacin is the best HDL-cholesterol raising drug right now"
20. About 5% of Long-term Niacin Users Evolve Into HDL Hyperresponders - Doctor's Guide, 3/14/06 - "about 5% of patients on long-term therapy become hyperresponders, increasing their HDL levels by 50% or more ... Overall, these patients lost 4% of body weight while on niacin treatment"
21. Fiber Supplements May Lower Cardiovascular Risk In Type 2 Diabetics - Science Daily, 4/30/05 - "Study participants received 10g to 15g of BiosLife 2, an over-the-counter fiber supplement ... total cholesterol had dropped from 215 mg/dL to 184 mg/dL, a 14.4 percent decrease. Triglycerides also improved, dropping from 299 mg/dL to 257 mg/dL, a 14 percent decrease ... LDL decreased from 129 mg/dL to 92 mg/dL -- a 28.7 percent improvement. HDL rose from 43 mg/dL to 55 mg/dL -- a 21.8 percent increase"
22. The Effects of Niacin on Lipoprotein Subclass Distribution - Medscape, 1/19/05 - "the combination of niacin and a statin may be among the best available treatment options for many patients with complex forms of dyslipidemia ... Niacin effectively modifies all major lipids and lipoproteins with respect to both their quantity and quality. It is the most effective agent currently available for raising low levels of HDL cholesterol"
23. Grape Juice Raises 'Good' Cholesterol Levels - WebMD, 11/19/04 - "Grape juice drinkers had HDL levels of 50 mg/dL, compared with almost 45 mg/dL in the placebo group"
24. Long- term effects of policosanol on older patients with Type 2 diabetes - Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2004;13(Suppl):S101 - "239 patients with Type 2 diabetes were randomized to policosanol 5 mg/day or placebo for 2 years ... at study completion, policosanol lowered (p < 0.0001 vs baseline and placebo) LDL-C (29.5 %), TC (21.9 %), TG (16.9 %) and raised (p < 0.0001 vs baseline and placebo) HDL-C (12.4 %) ... Five patients, all placebo, died during the study" - See iHerb or Vitacost policosanol products.
25. Raising HDL in Clinical Practice - Medscape, 6/10/04 - "Niacin increases HDL-C to the greatest extent of all available monotherapies: by 15% to 35% at higher daily doses on the order of 3 grams ... Capsules containing omega-3 fatty acids (1.48 g of docosahexaenoic acid + 1.88 g of eicosapentaenoic acid) have been formulated and are commercially available in some parts of the world (as Omacor). In a recent small study in patients with familial combined hyperlipidemia, treatment with this formulation for 8 weeks increased HDL-C by 8%"
26. Dietary supplementation with olive oil leads to improved lipoprotein spectrum and lower n-6 PUFAs in elderly subjects - Med Sci Monit. 2004 Mar 23;10(4):PI49-PI54 - "The supplement was taken for 6 weeks and involved daily consumption of 2 tablespoons ... There was also a significant decline in the total-to-HDL and LDL-to-HDL cholesterol ratios" - I alternate between Smart Balance Omega-Plus (made with omega-3 fish oil) and Fleischmann's Olive Oil spread.
27. HDL: The "Quit" Cholesterol - Physician's Weekly, 2/23/04 - "for every 1 mg/dL increase in HDL, risk for a CAD event is reduced by 2% in men and 3% in women ... It hasn't gotten the same attention as LDL partly because there haven't been good medicines for raising it ... Niacin is, according to Dr. Rader, “…the best HDL-raising agent currently available.”"
28. Scientists Eye Pills To Unclog Arteries - Intelihealth, 2/2/04 - "HDL scoops up cholesterol from the arteries and carries it back to the liver for disposal ... men's average HDL is about 45 and women's is 55. HDL under 40 is an especially bad sign, while anything over 60 is considered good. Those with HDL over 75 may even be blessed with what's called the "longevity syndrome." ... many specialists recommend more use of the HDL booster already on the market, the vitamin niacin"
29. 4 Popular Diets Heart Healthy - WebMD, 11/10/03 - "the heart disease risk score is based on the ratio between LDL cholesterol and HDL "good" cholesterol ... The Atkins and Zone diets increased HDL by 15%, while Weight Watchers posted an 18.5% gain. But the Ornish diet increased HDL by just 2.2%"
30. Vitamin C Inhibits Lipid Oxidation in Human HDL - J Nutr. 2003 Oct;133(10):3047-51 - "In the absence of vitamin C, lipid oxidation in HDL began immediately and proceeded rapidly ... Vitamin C (50-200 micro mol/L) retarded initiation of lipid oxidation for at least 4 h under the same conditions ... Our results demonstrate that vitamin C inhibits lipid oxidation in HDL and preserves the antioxidant activity associated with this lipoprotein fraction"
31. Vitamin B12 Improves Homocysteine Levels and Lipid Profiles in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease - Doctor's Guide, 10/6/03 - "During Phase 1, patients were prescribed oral doses of folic acid 5 mg/day and vitamin B12 0.6mg/day. Through out Phase 2, participants were given intravenous doses of vitamin B12 1mg every other day in addition to folic acid 5 mg/day ... By the completion of the study, patients exhibited significantly lower serum tHcy (29.4 verses 21.1 mg/dL), total cholesterol (222 verses 196 mg/dL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (139 versus 109 mg/dL). Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels increased significantly among the participants"
32. Does High Cholesterol Harm Your Kidneys? - Dr. Weil, 8/22/03 - "apparently healthy men with low HDL (high density lipoprotein), the “good” cholesterol, and high LDL (low density lipoprotein) or “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides have twice the normal risk of reduced kidney function ... You can raise HDL by increasing exercise, drinking alcohol moderately, and eating only healthy fats (monounsaturates such as olive oil and omega-3s from sources like salmon and sardines). Taking prescription statin drugs also will help, although I prefer natural alternatives such as red rice yeast"
33. Cholesterol: Finding Right Mix - CBS News, 7/11/03 - "High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is known as the "good" cholesterol. It helps move the bad cholesterol through the body's system to get rid of excess amounts. With enough "good" cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol doesn't get a chance to build up ... Your total cholesterol should be less than 200. Levels of "good" cholesterol should be below 40. Levels of "bad" cholesterol should be less than 130, or less than 100 if you already have heart disease ... Certain foods such as soy, whole grain oats or fish containing omega-3 fatty acids can lower cholesterol" - I believe that "Levels of "good" cholesterol should be below 40" should be "above" not "below". - Ben
34. Policosanol more Effective than Lovastatin for Intermittent Claudication - New Hope Natural Media, 5/29/03 - "Those taking policosanol had a 34% increase in pain-free walking distance, while no change was observed in those taking lovastatin. Quality of life was also reported as being significantly better in the policosanol group compared with the lovastatin group. Both treatment groups had significant reductions in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. However, participants taking policosanol had a significant 32% increase in HDL cholesterol and a 6% decrease in fibrinogen, while these parameters remained unchanged in those receiving lovastatin" - See iHerb or Vitacost policosanol products.  Claudication gets my attention because my father has it and if there is a hereditary factor, I want to prevent it. - Ben
35. Cranberry Juice Fights Heart Disease - WebMD, 3/24/03 - "Cranberry juice is higher in phenol antioxidants than other fruit juices with the exception of grape juice ... levels of high-density lipoprotein ("good" cholesterol) appeared to increase significantly -- by as much as 121% -- after two or three glasses of juice a day"
36. Differential effects of saturated and monounsaturated fats on postprandial lipemia and glucagon-like peptide 1 responses in patients with type 2 diabetes - AJCN, 3/1/03 - "Olive oil induced lower triacylglycerol concentrations and higher HDL-cholesterol concentrations than did butter, without eliciting significant changes in glucose, insulin, or fatty acids" - Olive oil is 76% omega-9.
37. Policosanol Improves Lipid Profiles - Natural Foods Merchandiser, 1/03 - "In one eight-week study with 68 older patients who had both elevated LDL levels and various coronary heart disease risk factors, researchers found 10 mg of Cuban policosanol taken once daily reduced (from baseline) LDL levels by 19 percent and triglycerides by 14 percent, and increased HDL levels by 18 percent, all statistically significant changes.26 The statin group (10 mg per day of pravastatin, the lowest dose recommended) triggered a 16 percent reduction in LDL levels, no change in triglycerides, and a 6 percent increase in HDL levels" - See iHerb and Vitacost policosanol products.
38. Ispaghula Husk [psyllium] Nearly As Effective As Simvastatin For Hyperlipidemia - Doctor's Guide, 12/24/02 - "One group received 3.5 grams of ispaghula husk twice a day and the second group received 20 milligrams of simvastatin each day ... total cholesterol decreased by 15.8 percent and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol decreased by 22.97 percent among patients taking ispaghula husk ... Triglycerides decreased by 20.89 percent and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol increased by 10.69 percent in these patients ... Among patients taking simvastatin, total cholesterol decreased by 24.15 percent, LDL cholesterol decreased by 36.08 percent, triglycerides decreased by 20.47 percent and HDL cholesterol increased by 11.4 percent" - I've got that. See psyllium husk at Amazon.com.  3.5 grams is about one wafer (3.4 grams psyllium/wafer).  Plus 24 wafers runs about $4.49 versus about $116 for 30 of the 20 mg simvastatin.
39. Eating Yogurt Daily Increases “Good” Cholesterol in Women - New Hope Natural Media, 12/5/02 - "In this study, 29 women ate 300 grams (about 10.6 ounces) of a full-fat (3.5% fat by weight) yogurt product daily for 21 weeks ... A larger, and statistically significant, 38% increase was observed in HDL, or “good” cholesterol levels after eating the yogurt. No change was observed in LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol levels ... each woman also ate the probiotic- and prebiotic-containing product for a 7-week stretch during the 21-week trial. During the period when the women consumed the supplemented yogurt, there was a further increase in HDL cholesterol beyond that seen from simply eating plain yogurt" - See iHerb and Vitacost probiotics products.
40. Genes Determine Effect of Diet, Good Cholesterol - WebMD, 10/21/02 - "To increase HDLs, you shouldn't consume more saturated fats. Instead, you should have more monounsaturated fats, which are abundant in many vegetables, oils, and walnuts."
41. Alcohol Can Help Women's Hearts Too - WebMD, 9/16/02 - "10 men aged 45-64 and nine women aged 49-62 drank either regular beer or non-alcoholic beer for three weeks ... After 10 days of drinking alcohol, HDL cholesterol levels rose by an average of nearly 7% for both men and women ... Previous research suggests that a 1% increase in HDL cholesterol is linked to a 2% reduction in the risk of heart disease"
42. Niacin May Be Effective Therapy For Broad Range Of Diabetes-Associated Dyslipidaemias - Doctor's Guide, 7/25/02 - "After niacin treatment, the patients' LDL peak particle diameter increased from 252 +/- 7 Å to 263 +/- 7, the researchers reported. Their small, dense LDLc particle mass decreased from 27 +/- 11 mg/dL to 15 +/- 4 mg/dL. Total HDLc increased from 39 +/- 7 mg/dL to 51 +/- 11 mg/dL. Their HDL2, as the percentage of total HDLc mass, increased from 29 +/- 8 percent to 45 +/- 10 percent, and their Lp(a) decreased from 43 +/- 17 mg/dL to 25 +/- 10 mg/dL ... Twenty-one percent of the patients were unable to tolerate niacin because of reversible adverse effects. Another 14 percent were unable to adhere to the niacin dosing regimen of three times daily"
43. HDL Too High? - Dr. Weil, 6/6/02 - "each increase of 4 mg/dl in the HDL level results in a 10 percent decrease in risk of adverse coronary events"
44. Policosanol Helps Reduce High Cholesterol - New Hope Natural Media, 6/6/02 - "In a six-month study, 10 mg per day of policosanol reduced total cholesterol by 16% and LDL cholesterol by 24%, and increased HDL cholesterol by 29%. Several other studies have compared policosanol with some of the conventional medications used for lowering cholesterol and the results have shown policosanol in the amount of 5 to 20 mg per day to be more effective than lovastatin (Mevacor®), pravastatin (Pravachol®), and simvastatin (Zocor®), with fewer reported side effects. While some prescription drugs used to lower cholesterol may cause liver and muscle problems in rare instances, people taking policosanol have not suffered any serious side effects" - See iHerb or Vitacost policosanol products.
45. Health Benefits of Olive Oil - California Olive Oil Council - "Olive oil is 80% oleic acid, placing it at the top of the list of monounsaturated fats ... Research has proved that using olive oil significantly increases HDL levels"
46. Men's Fitness: Boost your good cholesterol sky-high: want to live longer? Try raising this cholesterol with our 10 strategies - findarticles.com, 2/02 - "In a Canadian study, drinking a few glasses of orange juice every day for four weeks increased participants' HDL by 21 percent, possibly due to a flavonoid called hesperidin that appears extremely HDL-friendly"
47. question regarding your new cholesterol-lowering supplement, Policosanol - Life Extension Magazine, 11/01 - "Studies show that niacin (B3) in doses of 1.5 grams to 3 grams lower triglycerides levels and raise HDL concentrations. Those who tolerated higher doses of niacin (nicotinic acid) showed even more improvement in lipid levels. Some people taking just 1000 mg of flush-free niacin see an elevation in beneficial HDL. Green tea also has been shown to elevate levels of HDL while lowering serum triglyceride levels. In the Journal of Molecular Cell Biochemistry, curcumin has been demonstrated, in vivo, to decrease triglycerides and increase HDL. In a study published in 1989 by the Journal of Associated Physicians-India, 125 patients receiving gugulipid showed a drop of 16.8% in triglycerides, and a 60% increase in HDL cholesterol within three to four weeks. Make sure you are taking at least six Mega EPA fish oil capsules daily, as low dose fish oil may not adequately suppress triglycerides. Finally, there are some lifestyle changes you may wish to consider. If you are overweight, weight loss would be recommended, as it would help to lower triglycerides and raise HDL. Also, try reducing carbohydrates, which can raise triglycerides"
48. Product Review: Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA) from Fish/Marine Oils - ConsumerLabs.com, 11/20/01 - "It's been discovered that EPA and DHA may help prevent heart disease and atherosclerosis by lowering triglyceride levels, raising HDL ("good") cholesterol and, possibly "thinning" the blood ... By decreasing inflammation, EPA and DHA can also reduce the pain of rheumatoid arthritis ... Fish oils may also be useful in treating a host of conditions including bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder, Raynaud's phenomenon (abnormal sensitivity of hands and feet to cold), lupus, IgA nephropathy, kidney stones, chronic fatigue syndrome, Crohn's disease, cystic fibrosis, and ulcerative colitis ... EPA specifically may be helpful for schizophrenia, while DHA may be more helpful in reducing high blood pressure ... DHA may be helpful in the treatment of disorders such as attention deficit disorders, dyslexia, and cognitive impairment and dementia ... experts now believe that the American diet contains too little omega-3 fatty acids and too much omega-6 fatty acids"
49. Cardiovascular Health - Nutrition Science News, 9/01 - "HDL cholesterol was significantly increased in the intervention [coenzyme Q10] group without affecting total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol"
50. An Antioxidant Cocktail May Prove to Be Heart Unhealthy - WebMD, 8/9/01 - "Taken alone the drug combination simvastatin and niacin increased HDL, the so-called good cholesterol by 25%, but when antioxidants were added HDL increased by only 18%"
51. A Fish Story - Nutrition Science News, 4/01 - "daily consumption of very low daily doses of EPA/DHA (120 mg/180 mg, about one standard fish oil capsule) in an enriched milk led to a 19 percent decrease in blood triglycerides and a 19 percent increase in HDL cholesterol after six weeks ... It is unclear whether EPA is superior to DHA, although EPA has proven more potent in relaxing cow coronary arteries and producing the vasodilator gas, nitric oxide, in vitro"
52. Effects of policosanol in older patients with type II hypercholesterolemia and high coronary risk - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2001 Mar;56(3):M186-92 - "while significantly (p é .01) increasing (p < .001) high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) by 14.6% and 29.1%, respectively ... No serious adverse experiences occurred in policosanol patients (p < .01), compared with seven adverse experiences (7.9%) reported by placebo patients"
53. Rimostil May Increase Bone Density While Raising Good Cholesterol - Doctor's Guide, 9/27/99 - "The second effect was on HDL cholesterol levels. Falling HDL levels after menopause is one of the main reasons that older women suffer heart disease and stroke. P-081 caused an average 28% rise in HDL levels, essentially restoring their HDL levels to pre-menopausal levels" - see Rimostil at iHerb.
54. Biological effects of hesperidin, a Citrus flavonoid. (note II): hypolipidemic activity on experimental hypercholesterolemia in rat - Farmaco. 1995 Sep;50(9):595-9 - "Hesperidin, the most important flavanone of Citrus sp., significantly increases HDL"
55. A comparison of the efficacy and toxic effects of sustained- vs immediate-release niacin in hypercholesterolemic patients - JAMA. 1994 Mar 2;271(9):672-7 - "None of the patients taking IR niacin developed hepatotoxic effects, while 12 (52%) of the 23 patients taking SR niacin did"
56. Improving Outcomes With HDL Cholesterol - Physician's Weekly, 4/9/07 - "Patients who have high HDL levels appear to have better protection against vascular disease than others and some variants of HDL may actually reduce plaque in the coronary arteries. Essentially, HDL acts as a scavenger compound; it moves the lipids from the blood vessel to the liver, where they are then excreted from the body ... Currently, in the United States, the only medication other than statins designed specifically to help physicians raise the HDL cholesterol levels in their patients is niacin" - See niacin at Amazon.com.
57. What Makes Good Cholesterol So 'Good' For Us? - Science Daily, 3/2/07 - "High levels of good cholesterol (high density lipoprotein (HDL)) are associated with protection from cardiovascular disease, which remains the leading cause of death in the United States"
58. Study: HDL, or 'good' cholesterol looks better - USA Today, 2/6/07 - "patients' clogged arteries began to clear when statins drove their LDL levels down to 87.5 milligrams per deciliter of blood and their HDL up by 7.5%"
59. HDL Effects of Statins Important - Medscape, 2/6/07 - "Statins increase HDL-C by around 5% to 15% ... Substantial atheroma regression (>5%) was observed in patients with levels of LDL-C less than the mean (87.5 mg/dL) and increases of HDL-C greater than the mean (7.5%; p<0.001) during treatment ... This, to our knowledge, is the first time that increases in HDL-C levels have been shown to be an independent predictor of a beneficial outcome with statin therapy"
60. Gene Tied To Longevity Also Preserves Ability To Think Clearly - Science Daily, 12/26/06 - "Centenarians were three times likelier to possess CETP VV compared with a control group representative of the general population and also had significantly larger HDL and LDL lipoproteins than people in the control group ... Researchers believe that larger cholesterol particles are less likely to lodge themselves in blood vessels" - Could niacin do the same thing?  See:
    • Effects of extended-release niacin on lipoprotein particle size, distribution, and inflammatory markers in patients with coronary artery disease - Am J Cardiol. 2006 Sep 15;98(6):743-5 - "Addition of niacin resulted in a 32% increase in large-particle HDL (p <0.001), an 8% decrease in small-particle HDL (p = 0.0032), an 82% increase in large-particle LDL (p = 0.09), and a 12% decrease in small-particle LDL (p = 0.008)"
61. Lower HDL Cholesterol Increases Risk of Cardiovascular Event - Medscape, 3/14/06 - "Our study, in which half the population achieved LDL levels below 80 mg/dL, clearly shows that even if LDL is low, HDL is still important ... every 1 mg/dL increase in HDL cholesterol concentration was associated with an approximate 2% reduction in the relative risk of a major cardiovascular event ... There's diet, exercise, and, if the patient can tolerate it, niacin"
62. HDL Levels and LDL-C/HDL-C Ratio Potential Targets for Future Drug Therapy - Doctor's Guide, 3/13/06 - "major cardiovascular event (MCVE) ... a 1 mg/dL increase in HDL-C concentration translated to an approximate reduction of about 2% in the relative risk of an MCVE"
63. Adding Niacin to Lovastatin Therapy Might Improve Efficacy for Dyslipidemia - Doctor's Guide, 10/5/05 - "Niacin has been shown to be one of the most effective drugs for improving levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, or good cholesterol ... Combining the best LDL lowering and best HDL raising drugs makes sense"
64. HDL-C and the diabetic patient: Target for therapeutic intervention? - Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2005 Jun;68 Suppl 2:S36-42. Epub 2005 Apr 7 - "Rosuvastatin has been shown to be at least as effective at increasing HDL-C compared with atorvastatin, pravastatin or simvastatin"
65. Doctors Seek Way to Boost Some Cholesterol - Intelihealth, 3/8/05 - "HDL works like arterial Drano, clearing away cholesterol and carrying it to the liver for disposal. The more of it, the better: each point of increase in HDL has been found to reduce the risk of heart disease by 2 percent to 3 percent"
66. Effectiveness of simvastatin therapy in raising HDL-C in patients with type 2 diabetes and low HDL-C - Curr Med Res Opin. 2004 Jul;20(7):1087-94 - "Both simvastatin 80 and 40 mg significantly increased total HDL-C from baseline (mean increases of 8%"
67. Non-HDL Cholesterol and Apolipoprotein B Predict Cardiovascular Disease Events Among Men With Type 2 Diabetes - Diabetes Care. 2004 Aug;27(8):1991-7 - "Non-HDL cholesterol and apoB are more potent predictors of CVD incidence among diabetic men than LDL cholesterol. Statistically, the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol is the best predictor of CVD in this cohort of diabetic men"
68. Potential Heart Disease Breakthrough - WebMD, 11/4/03 - "It's called ApoA-I Milano ... a genetically engineered version of this "good" HDL cholesterol protein has been tested in a small human trial ... The findings exceed even the most optimistic expectations ... In five weeks, patients treated with ApoAI Milano had about a 4% decrease in plaque volume. That's 10 times greater reduction than ever seen before"
69. Carbohydrate-Rich Diet Associated with Lower High-Density Lipoprotein Levels - Doctor's Guide, 10/6/03 - "The researchers defined glycaemic index as the measure of blood glucose after consumption of carbohydrate-containing foods, ranging in values from 1 to 100. Glycaemic load was defined as the carbohydrate content of a food multiplied by the glycaemic index and servings per week ... Results showed an inverse relationship between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level and both the glycaemic index and glycaemic load"
70. Rosuvastatin Improves Plasma Lipid Ratios - Doctor's Guide, 10/1/03 - "Rosuvastatin significantly more effective than atorvastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin in improving the ratios of total cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol" - See rosuvastatin
71.  at OffshoreRx1.com.
72. Doctors Ignore Diabetes Guidelines - WebMD, 8/18/03 - "Do you have diabetes? There's a one-in-three chance that if you do, you don't know ... Testing should be considered at a younger age -- and done more frequently -- in certain people: ... Anyone with high blood pressure (140/90 or higher) ... Anyone with an HDL "good" cholesterol of 35 or under and/or triglyceride levels of 250 or more ... Anyone with a fasting blood sugar level of 100 to 125"
73. Cholesterol Ratio More Indicative Than LDL - Physician's Weekly, 7/21/03 - "the ratio of LDL and HDL cholesterol may be better for identifying the risk of heart disease compared to relying solely on the individual levels of each kind of cholesterol. The study found that the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol and the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol can better predict the risk of heart disease rather than measuring LDL levels alone. LDL/HDL ratios may more effective at identifying high-risk individuals and tracking their progress on cholesterol-lowering drugs. The researchers noted that despite newer recommendations incorporating HDL into risk assessment, LDL continues to be the major target of cholesterol-lowering therapy ... Certain low-fat diets that reduce both LDL and HDL levels may be less beneficial than diets that boost HDL cholesterol levels. Losing weight, quitting smoking, and exercising more often can increase HDL cholesterol"
74. Lower cholesterol for healthy kidneys - USA Today, 7/20/03 - "men who had low levels of HDL or "good cholesterol" and elevated "bad" or LDL cholesterol were twice as likely to have evidence of kidney malfunction"
75. A Healthy Heart - Newsweek, 6/16/03 - "If small LDL is the kind of cholesterol you definitely don’t want to have, then HDL2B is the kind you definitely do want to have, and the more the better. HDL2B is a superefficient type of HDL, the good cholesterol that helps clear partially blocked arteries. HDL2B, the strongest possible protection against heart disease, is measured as a percentage of total HDL, and Superko likes his patients to be above 35 percent (for postmenopausal women, above 45 percent)" - See below.  Many are recommending HDL be a lot higher than that. - Ben
76. Rosiglitazone Improves Cholesterol Profile in Patients with Type 2 diabetes - Doctor's Guide, 4/4/03 - "Rosiglitazone increases high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) levels and improves the ratio of HDLC to total cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes ... mean HDLC levels increased 15%, from 45.3 to 51.9 mg/dL"
77. Raising HDL-C Levels Slows CAD Progression and Reduces Mortality - Medscape, 4/3/04 - "Results of two studies of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)-targeted therapies indicate that attacking heart disease by increasing HDL-C levels appears to slow progression of atherosclerosis and reduce mortality ... Although the protective effect of HDL-C is well known, "most researchers ignore this fact," said Henrietta Reicher-Reiss, MD, from Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel. It is a costly oversight since "about half of heart attack victims have normal [low-density liprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels]," ... drugs designed to target HDL-C have a number of adverse effects. Niacin, for example, causes flushing, and fibrates are associated with gastrointestinal side effects. That side-effect profile might be a factor against this approach. Statins, on the other hand, tend to be very well tolerated"
78. Exercise Training, Without Weight Loss, Increases Insulin Sensitivity and Postheparin Plasma Lipase Activity in Previously Sedentary Adults - Medscape, 3/19/03 - "Exercise, without weight loss, increases SI [insulin sensitivity] and PHPL activity in previously sedentary adults, without changing K2 or fasting lipid levels. Furthermore, increased LPL is associated with a decreased total:HDL ratio, and an increased LPL:HL ratio is associated with a decreased waist circumference. Therefore, even modest amounts of exercise in the absence of weight loss positively affect markers of glucose and fat metabolism in previously sedentary, middle-aged adults" - I threw this out because I didn't know that "decreased total:HDL ratio ... is associated with a decreased waist circumference" - This might be a long shot but that sounds like increasing insulin sensitivity via such methods as metformin and increasing HDL via supplements such as niacin might decrease pot bellies. - Ben
79. Unhealthy Trans Fats Not Labeled on Foods - WebMD, 2/10/03 - "[Trans fats] are there and they are not labeled ... Saturated fats are the only fats given special treatment on a product's label. Yet trans fats are just as bad. They may even be worse ... Trans fat increases 'bad' LDL cholesterol -- in some studies more than saturated fat ... It also has a tendency to reduce 'good' HDL cholesterol, which saturated fat doesn't do ... Trans fat also increases blood levels of two other bad actors. One is the kind of fat called triglycerides. The other is a particle called lipoprotein(a), which promotes clogged arteries ... Any amount of trans fat is bad"
80. Statin-Niacin Combination Counters Dyslipidaemic Cardiovascular Risk - Doctor's Guide, 12/20/02 - "Combined statin-niacin is a safe, tolerated therapy that lowers low density lipoprotein cholesterol and raises high density lipoprotein cholesterol ... At niacin doses of at least 1000 (mean 1480) mg/day added to a constant statin regimen in 29 patients, high density lipoprotein cholesterol rose significantly (by 20 percent)"
81. Among Treated Hypertensive Patients, Low HDL Predicts Ventricular Remodeling - Doctor's Guide, 9/26/02 - "While low HDL cholesterol levels are well known to be a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, it is unclear whether it plays a role in hypertensive heart disease ... The findings suggest that low HDL-C may play an adverse role not only in coronary heart disease but also in hypertensive heart disease"
82. Ratio of Total to LDL Cholesterol Is Best Predictor Of Coronary Heart Disease - Doctor's Guide, 11/2/01 - "The total cholesterol/ HDL-C ratio was the most powerful lipoprotein predictor of future coronary heart disease ... Using a total cholesterol/HDL-C cholesterol ratio of 5.0 as the cut-off point was associated with significantly better specificity and accuracy and similar (though lower) sensitivity than an LDL-C level of 130 mg/dl (3.4 mmol/l)"
83. Testosterone Decreases Good Cholesterol But Does Not Influence Other Atherogenic Markers - Doctor's Guide, 6/21/01

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