Bad cholesterol is not the only cause of heart disease - Brief Article

AORN Journal, Oct, 2003

Half of all heart attacks strike people with low to normal cholesterol; therefore, lowering cholesterol may not be enough to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), according to a JuLy 9, 2003, news release from Weill Cornell Medical College. Researchers and physicians have focused primarily on lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ie, bad cholesterol), which can contribute to blockage of arteries leading to the heart, as a way to reduce risk for CHD. Recently, however, other risk factors have been identified. Metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors for CHD, includes

* abdominal obesity,

* elevated triglycerides,

* low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ie, good cholesterol),

* elevated blood pressure, and

* elevated glucose levels.

The increasing prevalence of obesity in Western societies has Led to a growth in the number of people with metabolic syndrome, which also can lead to development of diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes have two to four times greater risk for developing CHD. Continued research about metabolic syndrome and other risk factors may lead to the development of new treatments to reduce the number of heart attacks per year, according to the release.

In the Development of Heart Disease, LDL Cholesterol Isn't the Only Villain (news release, New York: Weill Cornell Medical College, July 9, 2003) http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/July03/cholesterol.html (accessed 15 July 2003).