Latest news with #ChalmersUniversityofTechnology
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
This Is the Actual Best Way to Measure Risk of Heart Disease—And No, It's Not Cholesterol
Measuring cholesterol levels has always been the gold standard for figuring out who is at highest risk for heart disease. Until now. Researchers have discovered a brand-new way of predicting a person's risk of heart disease. Their findings claim to be more accurate and easier than the current cholesterol test. 🩺SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week💊Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. Yet, most cases are preventable if people take better care of themselves. With one person dying of heart disease every 33 seconds, a better test for early detection could give people more time to change their lives around. Related: A European Heart Journalstudy suggests that measuring two lipoproteins via a simple blood test is a more accurate predictor of heart disease than cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is often measured for heart disease risk because too much of it can harden and form plaques in the walls of blood vessels. When a plaque ruptures, it can create a blood clot that blocks blood flow, leading to a heart attack or stroke. A cholesterol test is often used to understand how much "bad" cholesterol is present enough to cause serious harm. However, cholesterol cannot harm the heart if not carried there with round-shaped transporters called lipoproteins. Depending on the type of lipoprotein, it can carry either "bad" or "good cholesterol" through the blood.'It was previously unclear if two patients with the same total level of 'bad cholesterol,' but who differ in their carrier characteristics (lipoprotein type, size, lipid content), have the same risk of heart disease. So, this study aimed to determine the importance of these different parameters,' says , a postdoctoral fellow in precision cardiovascular medicine at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and lead study author. The authors set their sights on three classes of lipoproteins that carry a special protein called apolipoprotein B (apoB). These carry the "bad cholesterol" to clog up arteries. A fourth lipoprotein class eliminates excess cholesterol in the blood and transports it back to the liver. Related: The study authors examined blood samples from 200,000 people in the United Kingdom who had no history of heart disease. They were specifically looking for the number and size of cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins in the bloodstream. "Bad" cholesterol carriers were defined as lipoproteins carrying the apoB protein. A 15-year follow-up showed that people with a high number of apoB lipoproteins were the ones more likely to experience a heart attack.'We found that apoB is the best marker when testing for risk of heart disease. Since apoB indicates the total number of 'bad' cholesterol particles, measuring it offers a more accurate test than standard cholesterol measures," explains Dr. Morze."The recent publication confirms what we as lipidologists have already believed for years," says , a co-director of the Center for Advanced Lipid Management at the Stony Brook Heart Institute in New York, and who was not involved in the study. "Measurement of the total number of apolipoprotein B (apoB) particles is a better prognostic marker for cardiovascular risk compared to low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) alone."The number of lipoproteins carrying the apoB protein was most important in estimating a person's risk of future heart disease. Additionally, the authors discovered lipoprotein(a), which is also linked to heart disease. It represents less than 1% of all lipoproteins carrying "bad" cholesterol, but their levels vary by to Dr. Rahman, previous guidelines considered an elevated apoB above 130mg/dL a factor for heart disease. "With the findings of this article, it should be measured more often and may now be the measurement we need to focus on targeting instead of just LDL-C alone." Curious about how to get your lipoprotein measurements? Ask your primary care doctor—they should be able to easily order it for you, or at least point you in the right Next:Heart Disease Facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ApoB-containing lipoproteins: count, type, size, and risk of coronary artery disease. European Heart Journal. Dr. Jakub Morze is a postdoctoral fellow in precision cardiovascular medicine at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Tahmid Rahman, MD, is a co-director of the Center for Advanced Lipid Management at the Stony Brook Heart Institute in New York.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Scientists Discover a Simple Method to Reduce Mercury Levels in Tuna
The benefits of getting fish in your diet are well known (it's in the Mediterranean diet, for example), but mercury poisoning remains a concern. Now, scientists have figured out how to cut levels of mercury in fish by up to 35 percent with a tweak to how it's packaged. A team from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and Chalmers University of Technology experimented with adding the amino acid cysteine to canned tuna – one of the types that can have the most mercury in it. When tuna is immersed in water containing cysteine, the novel solution removed 25 to 35 percent of the mercury from the fish, according to lab tests. The more fish flesh that was in contact with the solution, the more mercury was taken out into the liquid. Cysteine was picked for the solution because of the way mercury strongly binds to it – which is how it's able to build up in fish in the first place – and following on from a previous study into mercury removal by the same researchers. "We believed this would allow some of the mercury to be drawn out and instead bind to the solution and be discarded," says chemist Przemysław Strachowski, from Chalmers University of Technology. "Further research is needed to take care of the removed mercury." If you've been eating fish without any knowledge of any potential mercury contamination, don't worry: you're unlikely to be consuming enough of it for there to be a danger, though it's recommended that pregnant women and young children only eat a limited amount. In most cases, the health benefits of eating fish outweigh the potential health risks – though finding a way to reduce mercury levels in fish through the way the food is packaged would certainly reduce those risks even further. "The beauty of this type of packaging is that it is active while the product is on the shelf," says Strachowski. "No additional production steps would be needed if a method like this were used industrially." "The application of our results could increase the safety margin for fish consumption." There were no noticeable changes in the appearance or smell of the fish samples treated with cysteine in the study, and mercury removal continued for up to two weeks. No extra additives were required for the solution to work. It's going to take further research to turn this into a practical option for fish storage, but the early signs are promising – and the team thinks the methods outlined could be improved in the future. "Our study shows that there are alternative approaches to addressing mercury contamination in tuna, rather than just limiting consumption," says food scientist Mehdi Abdollahi, from Chalmers University of Technology. "Our goal is to improve food safety and contribute to enhanced human health, as well as to better utilize food that is currently under certain restrictions." The research has been published in Global Challenges. Dying Cells Play a Vital, Unexpected Role in Healing, Study Shows Does Added Protein Really Enhance The Nutrition of Your Food? A Week of Swimming in Cold Water Can Change You on a Cellular Level
Fox News
04-04-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Coffee lovers' alert: This cup of java could impact your heart health
Maybe it's wise to think twice about using coffee machines at work or in some buildings these days? A study investigated the levels of certain substances in coffee that's prepared in workplace coffee machines versus coffee made through traditional brewing techniques. Researchers concluded that drinking poorly filtered coffee such as the kind often found in workplace machines could be an overlooked factor in heart health issues due to certain cholesterol concentrations. The substances - cafestol and kahweol - are linked to elevated levels of LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, sometimes called "bad cholesterol"). High levels of this cholesterol can cause plaque build-up in the arteries and lead to heart disease, stroke and other health problems by narrowing arteries and restricting blood flow, according to the Cleveland Clinic website. Researchers from Uppsala University examined 14 different coffee machines in workplaces in Sweden, in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology. They compared the coffee from these machines to coffee produced using home-brewing methods such as with paper filters and French presses. Published recently in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, the study concluded that coffee from most office coffee machines contains high levels of the two cholesterol-elevating substances relative to the amount found in regular drip-filter coffee setups. "From this, we infer that the filtering process is crucial for the presence of these cholesterol-elevating substances in coffee. Obviously, not all coffee machines manage to filter them out," lead researcher David Iggman said in a news release. "But the problem varies between different types of coffee machines, and the concentrations also showed large variations over time." Machines in the study used five regular brands of ground coffee. In the case of high variations between tests from the same coffee machines, a possible factor could be the way cleaning schedules impact how porous the machine's filters are. Cleaning the metal filters could wear them down and make them less effective in filtering out certain substances, the study said. Machines in the study used five regular brands of ground coffee. Researchers took samples from the coffee made by the machines on a number of separate occasions and analyzed the contents. There was a big difference between the machines in terms of the levels of cafestol and kahweol in the coffee they made — but the levels could also differ at different times. "For people who drink a lot of coffee every day, it's clear that drip-filter coffee, or other well-filtered coffee, is preferable," Iggman said. For more Lifestyle articles, visit "Most of the coffee samples contained levels that could feasibly affect the levels of LDL cholesterol of people who drank the coffee, as well as their future risk of cardiovascular disease." While the researchers also examined espresso from varying machines, there was a considerable and unexplained variation in cafestol and kahweol concentration between four samples tested. "This needs further study but may be of importance for regular espresso consumers," according to the published findings.
Euronews
02-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Clothing rental companies are a sustainable answer to fast fashion, so why do they rarely work?
ADVERTISEMENT Renting clothes can reduce the fashion industry's hefty environmental impact, but so far, business models for the practice have not worked very well. A recently published study led by researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, has delved into what measures can make clothing rental a success. The researchers hope their findings will have significant benefits for greening the industry. Europeans discard 12 kilos of clothes per person each year The fashion industry is one of the world's most polluting sectors and can account for up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In Sweden, over 90 per cent of clothes' climate impact is linked to the purchase of newly produced goods. Previous research from Chalmers has shown that the production of new garments accounts for 70 per cent of the climate impact of Swedes' clothes throughout their life cycle. In the European Union, seven million tonnes of clothing are discarded each year - around 16 kilos per person. In the US, the average American generates 37 kilos of textile waste each year. The researchers behind the new study believe that there is great potential for environmental benefits through reduced clothing purchases and extended use of existing garments – especially if it can be done without extra car journeys for consumers. Rental clothing companies are a sustainable alternative to fast fashion Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Borås and the research institute Rise have examined the success of alternative, more sustainable business models for the clothing industry in their new study. "Many people have clothes hanging in the closet that are rarely or never used. Renting clothes can extend the use of each garment and thus contribute to more sustainable consumption," says Frida Lind, a professor at Chalmers and one of the researchers behind the study. Related Disgust is driving us to overwash our clothes at the expense of the environment, study finds Europeans throw away 7 million tonnes of clothes a year: Czechia is making recycling compulsory The researchers analysed nine Swedish companies that have either tried and failed, or are in the process of creating a sustainable clothes rental company. The study identified three main business models for renting out clothes. The membership model allows customers to become members and then borrow clothes for a certain period of time, similar to a library. With the subscription model, customers pay a monthly fee to rent a certain number of garments. These startups worked on scaling up operations and attracting venture capital. ADVERTISEMENT Under the individual rental model, companies provide specific types of clothing to rent out, often in combination with other equipment, such as outdoor clothing paired with ski equipment. Why clothing rental companies struggle financially The researchers interviewed founders, managers and other key people from each company about their business success. "What struck us was that it seemed so difficult for them to make their business profitable. Several had had to end their investments for various reasons," Lind says. The researchers noted that although there was a willing customer base for renting clothing in this way, there were several other challenges that made it difficult for companies to achieve profitability. ADVERTISEMENT "Renting out clothes involves many steps where each item of clothing needs to be handled and inspected before it can be rented out again, which takes time,' Lind says. 'Companies also struggled with high costs for warehousing, logistics and laundry. Especially for the subscription models, there were also difficulties in obtaining venture capital to be able to survive financially through the first phase of building the company.' Niche clothing items work best for rental businesses The researchers found that some of the business models worked better than others. Companies that focused on a specific market, such as outdoor clothing, were more successful and sustainable. "They seem to have found their niche and seen that there is a specific need that the customer is willing to pay for each time they need to use that type of clothing," says Lind. ADVERTISEMENT The researchers also examined how the companies created value in collaboration with different stakeholders and concluded that certain collaborations were particularly valuable. "Rental companies that worked closely with clothing manufacturers and suppliers, such as designers with a sustainability profile, benefited greatly from this as they were able to quickly get feedback on which types of clothing were most popular," she says. Related SHEIN: Fast fashion giant's clothes breach EU chemical regulations, Greenpeace claim Clothes made from 'carbon emissions': Why Zara's new line is just more greenwashing 'They also gained valuable information about the quality of the garments, for example if there was something that often broke.' Lind emphasises that even if some of the companies and services in the study have not survived, all initiatives that can contribute to the sustainability transition are important. ADVERTISEMENT At the very least, they help to change attitudes about clothing consumption and increase knowledge about what can and cannot work. "Our study can be an important contribution to the fashion industry 's sustainability transition, as it shows the possibilities of new business models in this industry,' Lind says. 'We hope that it can have an impact on decision-makers who need a basis for establishing incentives and financial motivation for a more sustainable fashion industry.'
Euronews
31-03-2025
- Health
- Euronews
How the coffee machine at your office may be hurting your health without you knowing
ADVERTISEMENT You may want to rethink that coffee on your work break and drink tea for a change. A new study by Swedish researchers has found that high levels of cholesterol-elevating substances were present in most coffee machines in workplaces. The two substances in question are cafestol and kahweol, both found in coffee beans. Researchers from Uppsala University, in collaboration with the Chalmers University of Technology, took samples from fourteen coffee machines in break rooms at different workplaces using five different coffee brands. Related Being a coffee drinker might be good for your heart health if you sit down all day for work The concentrations varied depending on the machine and the time, according to the findings published in the journal Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases . Brewing machines - the most common type of coffee machine in the workplaces studied - and boiled coffee in a pot showed the highest concentration of cholesterol-elevating substances. "From this, we infer that the filtering process is crucial for the presence of these cholesterol-elevating substances in coffee," David Iggman, a researcher at Uppsala University in Sweden and the study's lead author, said in a statement. "Obviously, not all coffee machines manage to filter them out. But the problem varies between different types of coffee machines, and the concentrations also showed large variations over time," he added. "Most of the coffee samples contained levels that could feasibly affect the levels of LDL cholesterol of people who drank the coffee, as well as their future risk of cardiovascular disease". LDL - or low-density lipoprotein - cholesterol is often referred to as the "bad" cholesterol. Related Scientists believe they've traced the beans in your morning coffee back 600,000 years Filtered coffee 'is preferable' "For people who drink a lot of coffee every day, it's clear that drip-filter coffee, or other well-filtered coffee, is preferable," he added. Using paper filters was found to almost completely filter out the molecules. More research is needed to determine the precise effects on cholesterol levels among consumers, according to Iggman. Naturally present in the body, cholesterol can become a problem if there's too much of it. It can build up in plaque in the walls of arteries making them arteries hard and narrow, according to the US-based Mayo Clinic. Related Coffee lover? High caffeine levels may reduce body fat and risk of type 2 diabetes Sometimes a piece of plaque can break loose and form a blood clot that may cause a heart attack or stroke. ADVERTISEMENT Europe is the region with the highest prevalence of cholesterol in the world, with over 50 per cent of adults estimated to be living with higher than average levels. According to Statista data from 2021, Lithuania had one of the highest average cholesterol levels in Europe, whereas Greece was among the lowest.
