Scientists have discovered a second “new” form of “bad” cholesterol they say can contribute to heart disease. Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a), does not respond to diet or cholesterol medication – but neither does it carry the same risk as the first-generation “bad” cholesterol, LDL. According to the findings of a study reported this month in the New England Journal of Medicine, lead author Professor Martin Farrall said Lp(a) appears to upset the blood-clotting process.
Two genetic factors were identified. The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, used gene-chip technology to scan DNA that had previously been identified to contain potential risk areas for heart disease. Farrall emphasized that “the increase in risk to people from high Lp(a) levels is significantly less severe that the risk from high LDL cholesterol levels. Lp(a) doesn’t trump LDL, which has a larger impact and which we can already control pretty effectively.” The aim, he added, is to find a medication that will simultaneously control both.
Another new form of “bad” cholesterol was identified earlier this year by a researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Khen-Yu Chen, Ph.D. presented his findings at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society earlier in the year. In an interview published by Science Daily this past August, Chen stated oxycholesterol which at present cannot be controlled by diet or current medications on the market might turn out to be the most serious threat of all to gene-chip technology health.
Oxycholesterol was proved to reduce the elasticity of arteries and impaired their ability to expand and carry more blood throughout the body. It also produced more deposits of cholesterol in the lining of arteries and a tendency to develop larger fatty deposits or atherosclerotic plaques which increase the risk for heart attack and stroke. The work demonstrated that oxycholesterol boosts total cholesterol levels and promotes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) more than non-oxidized cholesterol.
Oxidation occurs when fatty foods are heated. Foods containing high amounts of oxycholesterol include anything fried or highly processed, including the average “fast food.” The good news is that a diet rich in antioxidants can counter these effects and might block the process that forms oxycholesterol. Such a diet includes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and certain herbs and spices.
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