Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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Gene Combo May Cut Statin Drugs' Effectiveness
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MONDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- U.S. researchers have identified a gene variant that, in combination with a second gene, limits the ability of statin drugs to lower "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. The latest variant was discovered in a gene thought to be critical to the synthesis of cholesterol, the researchers say. It may also be more prevalent in blacks than whites: The deleterious gene combo was found in 3 percent of nearly 300 black Americans studied and in just 0.2 percent of 573 whites in the study. Statin medications include powerful cholesterol-busters such as Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor. While the study has no immediate implications for treating patients, it does offer new insight. "We need to understand more clearly the basis for the wide range of responses to statins, both in lowering of cholesterol and in outcomes, such as heart attacks and strokes," study author Dr. Ronald M. Krauss, director of atherosclerosis research at Children''s Hospital Oakland Research Institute in Oakland, Calif., said in a prepared statement. "This study is one piece of the overall equation that we and others are trying to fill in to understand why some people do not respond as well as others to statin therapy," Krauss said. The findings were presented Monday at the American Heart Association''s Scientific Sessions 2005 in Dallas. More information The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about cholesterol.
Last Updated: Nov. 14, 2005 |