Latest news with #University of Oxford
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Health
- Telegraph
The six natural alternatives to statins to lower your cholesterol
For those of us in middle age and beyond, conversations about cholesterol are hard to avoid – and with good reason. In England, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, high cholesterol leads to more than 7 per cent of all deaths and affects six in 10 adults, a number that rises for those in middle age: the most recent NHS Health Survey for England found that in the 45-64 age group, 77 per cent of women and 67 per cent of men had raised cholesterol. Surprisingly, these figures drop in the over-64 age group. Why? Because many of this older cohort are on statins. Statins are currently prescribed to around eight million people in the UK, and taking this daily tablet is a proven way to lower cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart attack or stroke. 'We are the first generation of people who have the opportunity to reduce our cardiovascular risk – still the number-one killer – because we have effective treatments in the form of statins,' says Robin Choudhury, a professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Oxford, a consultant cardiologist at John Radcliffe Hospital and the author of The Beating Heart: The Art and Science of Our Most Vital Organ. The turn against statins However, for some people with a lower cardiovascular risk, it may be possible to avoid statins by adopting lifestyle changes and/or seeking out other natural options. This is welcome news for many, because statins are often viewed with mistrust. Some critics argue that perhaps these pills are being doled out too liberally and that lots of people shouldn't be on them at all. Others think that statins may even be bad for us. In his 2007 book The Great Cholesterol Con, Scottish GP Malcolm Kendrick argues that high cholesterol levels don't cause heart disease, that statins have many more side effects than has been admitted and that their advocates should be asking more questions. This is something Prof Choudhury finds mystifying. 'I really don't know why people are reluctant to take them,' he says. 'There is one serious side effect associated with statins, called rhabdomyolysis, which is a severe muscle inflammation. But it's extremely rare. It affects one to two patients per 10,000 treated.' 'A lot of people just don't want to take a tablet every day,' suggests Dr Oliver Guttmann, a consultant cardiologist at the Wellington Hospital, part of HCA Healthcare UK. 'People also want to try and do it in what they call the 'natural' way.' The other natural options So, are there other effective natural options to statins? The answer is yes – but only up to a point. 'The bottom line,' says Dr Guttmann, 'is that with all the natural alternatives, there's some effectiveness, but they're not magic bullets.' He accepts, however, that other natural options can play 'a supporting role, especially for those people who are generally healthy and just want to try complementary treatments to decrease mild cholesterol elevation'. If you have been offered statins and decide not to take them, it's crucial to discuss the risks with your GP or cardiologist. Prof Choudhury emphasises that if you've already had a heart attack, angina or stroke, or if your percentage risk of a future event is high, taking statins is usually a sensible route that is grounded in evidence. 'For those who have heart disease, very few people have a good reason not to be on statins. For those who've never had an event, it's important to take an holistic view of risk [incorporating blood pressure, diabetes and family history] but for many individuals, alternatives to statins are perfectly reasonable.' Here are six other cholesterol-lowering options to consider: Plant sterols and stanols Plant sterols and stanols, also known as phytosterols, are naturally occurring compounds that have a similar structure to cholesterol. Prof Choudhury explains: 'They help lower LDL cholesterol levels by reducing cholesterol absorption in the gut because they compete for the same absorption sites.' Found in foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and whole grains, phytosterols have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol by eight to 10 per cent when eaten regularly as part of a healthy diet. They also work well in combination with statins. However, according to the British Dietetic Association, you need to consume reasonably large quantities – around 2g – each day, with meals, for them to be effective. Most people achieve this by having a plant sterol- or stanol-fortified mini yogurt drink every day or by eating two to three portions of foods with at least 0.8g of added plant sterol/stanol, such as 10g of fortified spread (eg margarines) or one 250ml glass of fortified milk. Oats and barley Oats and barley contain beta-glucans, a soluble fibre, which can be consumed in food or as supplements to regulate blood sugar and lower cholesterol. Cholesterol can go into the blood or the gut, Prof Choudhury explains. 'If you can take that cholesterol out of the gut and stop it being reabsorbed, that has a beneficial net effect on blood cholesterol levels. Beta-glucans bind to the soluble cholesterol that's in the gut and it then exits the bowel.' Some studies suggest that if a healthy adult consumes around 3g of beta-glucan daily – a bowl of porridge – they can decrease their LDL levels by five to 10 per cent over three months. Omega-3s Omega-3 fatty acids do not lower LDL cholesterol, but they have been shown to reduce triglycerides – a different type of fat found in the blood that are deemed to be harmful. Taken in supplement form, omega-3 can lower triglycerides by around 20-30 per cent. 'I tell my patients to take omega-3s all the time,' says Dr Guttmann. 'You find them in oily fish, like salmon and mackerel, though most people take them in supplement form. They work really well taken together with statins to lower your risk of heart disease. They've also been shown to support your brain health, cognitive function and mood.' Red yeast rice Commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, red yeast rice is sometimes described as a natural statin. 'It blocks cholesterol production in the liver in a similar way to statins,' Dr Guttmann explains. 'The problem is, it's very difficult to get the exact amount you need because the dosages and qualities can vary from one supplement to another. People can also sometimes consume red yeast rice in very high doses, which may cause liver problems.' Prof Choudhury is also concerned by the unregulated nature of red yeast rice capsules, which have been linked to safety issues. 'Statins originated from yeast,' he says, 'and there's a component of red yeast rice [a compound called monacolin K] which has a statin-like action that lowers LDL cholesterol. But it's not a regulated product, so you don't know what you're getting when you take it.' Psyllium husk Psyllium husk is a soluble fibre that helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels. When consumed, it forms a gel-like substance in the digestive tract that traps bile acids and prevents their absorption, causing them to be excreted through the stool. The liver responds by pulling in cholesterol from the blood to produce more bile acids, reducing the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. 'Psyllium husk is basically a digestive aid,' says Dr Guttmann. 'It's used as a laxative because it helps regulate your bowel movement, and in the process, it can lower cholesterol and decrease reabsorption. If you take it regularly, it probably reduces your LDL level by about five per cent. So it's great if you just want to be living a healthier lifestyle but inadequate as a medical intervention.' Garlic Some research suggests that allicin, a chemical found in garlic, can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. One clove (3-6g) of garlic a day may help decrease your LDL by up to 10 per cent, though the evidence is not yet conclusive. 'The problem is that if you just eat fresh garlic, you need to consume a very high amount,' says Dr Guttmann. 'And that's difficult for most people to achieve. So most people take garlic supplements in quite a high dose. I advise people to try this for a while and then re-monitor their LDL to see how they react to it. But it's certainly not a replacement for statins.' And one to be sceptical about… Apple cider vinegar 'The one product often mentioned as an alternative to statins that doesn't really have any significant evidence to back it up is apple cider vinegar,' says Dr Guttmann. 'While it might help to decrease your sugar levels, it does not appear to affect your LDL significantly.' Prof Choudhury concurs: 'I'm not aware of any convincing evidence to suggest that this is effective.' Lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol 'Our cholesterol level is, to a large extent, genetic,' says Prof Choudhury. 'With lifestyle modifications, you can make some impact on it, though usually not more than 10-15 per cent. For people who don't have very high cholesterol, but have other risk factors, it's a sensible thing to do.' There are five main ways to reduce your cholesterol level without taking statins: Eat a healthy, balanced diet that's high in fibre Exercise regularly Maintain a healthy weight Limit the amount of alcohol you drink Stop smoking For Dr Guttmann, increasing our consumption of dietary fibre is perhaps the quickest and easiest lifestyle change to make. 'Eating a high-fibre diet not only improves your gut health, it also decreases your cholesterol absorption. It binds to the cholesterol in your gut and prevents it being absorbed by the body, which lowers your levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.' He adds: 'My patients often ask me, 'If I do all of these things, surely it's the same as taking a statin?' But the truth is, because they're all working in a similar way, the benefits are not cumulative.' He does concede, however, that it very much depends on the individual. 'I've had some patients surprise me,' he nods. 'By changing their diet and lifestyle and by incorporating some of the interventions in the list above, people can achieve dramatic improvements. But, overall, statins are still the gold standard.'
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Huge Study Reveals 2 Vaccines That Appear to Reduce Dementia Risk
Some immunizations may be quietly protecting us from cognitive decline. How the medicine might do that is a mystery scientists are desperate to solve. A new study on two vaccines for older adults gives us a crucial clue. The retrospective cohort study included more than 130,000 people in the US. It reveals that the shingles vaccine (called Shingrix) and the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine (Arexyv) are associated with a reduced risk of dementia compared to the annual flu vaccine. Related: Both Shingrix and Arexyv are recommended for older adults, and they contain the AS01 adjuvant, which helps stimulate the immune system after vaccination. The flu vaccine does not. Because the link to dementia was noticed soon after receiving the jab, it's unlikely that the vaccines' protection from direct viral exposure is behind the dementia link. Instead, the findings from the University of Oxford suggest "that the AS01 adjuvant itself plays a direct role in lowering dementia risk." Within 18 months of receiving just the Shingrix vaccine, participants showed an 18 percent reduction in dementia risk compared to those who received only the flu vaccine. Meanwhile, those who received the RSV vaccine showed a 29 percent reduction in dementia risk compared to the flu vaccine. Participants who received both the Shingrix and the Arexyv vaccine showed a 37 percent reduction in risk. This combined effect was not statistically greater than one vaccine on its own. In other words, protection from two viruses didn't significantly increase the protection against dementia. The findings suggest that some vaccines "protect against dementia through mechanisms unrelated to (or at least in addition to) the prevention of their [target virus]", write the study authors, led by psychiatrist Maxime Taquet from the University of Oxford. If that's true, then certain vaccines may protect against dementia by triggering important pathways in the immune system. The conclusions align with an emerging hypothesis: that dementia is not actually a brain disease but a disorder of the immune system within the brain. Perhaps vaccines can help get that system up and running again, even if a threatening virus never comes along. In recent years, studies have shown that exposure to several common viruses, like those behind cold sores, shingles, mono, pneumonia, and COVID-19, can lead to a higher risk of cognitive decline down the road. Moreover, vaccines seem to reduce that risk by a significant amount. But why that is has remained a mystery. In 2024, for instance, a study from the United Kingdom found that Shingrix delayed dementia onset by 17 percent compared to older, less effective shingles vaccines. At the time, this was interpreted as indicating that the more effective a shingles vaccine is at reducing viral exposure, the more the brain is protected against cognitive decline. This older version of the shingles vaccine (called Zostavax), however, doesn't include the AS01 immune-booster, and that may have influenced the results. In the US, it is generally recommended that adults over the age 50 receive two doses of the shingles vaccine to protect themselves against the varicella-zoster virus. This is the same virus that causes chicken pox, and it can lie latent in the brain for years before re-emerging in adults. It is also recommended that adults over age 75 receive the RSV vaccine. Both of these vaccines can protect from dangerous infections, but it seems that may not be all they do. "It is likely that both the AS01 shingles and RSV vaccines provide some protection against dementia," conclude Taquet and his colleagues. "The mechanisms underpinning this protection remain to be determined." Vaccines have saved a staggering 154 million lives around the world in the last half century from deadly viruses. If we're lucky, that's just the tip of the iceberg. The study was published in npj Vaccines. Related News One Dietary Supplement Shown to Reduce Aggression by Up to 28% Do Women Need More Sleep Than Men? Here's The Science. Virus Traces Discovered in The Brain Lining of People With Schizophrenia Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Confirmed: Uranus Really Is Hotter Than It Has Any Right to Be
A new analysis of decades' worth of observations has revealed that Uranus does indeed emit more heat than it receives from the rays of the Sun. This conclusion, arrived at by two independent teams of scientists, finally resolves a puzzle that first emerged when Voyager 2 cruised past the stinky planet all the way back in 1986. Those observations suggested that Uranus was not emitting any excess heat – a finding that put it at odds with all the other giant planets in the Solar System. A team led by planetary scientist Xinyue Wang, formerly of the University of Houston, now at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, has now found that Uranus is emitting around 12.5 percent more heat than it receives from the Sun. This is consistent with findings about Uranus made by a team led by planetary physicist Patrick Irwin of the University of Oxford in the UK, made available earlier this year on arXiv. Related: For The First Time, Scientists Have Detected X-Rays Coming Out of Uranus "This means it's still slowly losing leftover heat from its early history, a key piece of the puzzle that helps us understand its origins and how it has changed over time," Wang says. "From a scientific perspective, this study helps us better understand Uranus and other giant planets. For future space exploration, I think it strengthens the case for a mission to Uranus." Previous research has already shown that Voyager 2's flyby occurred at a time when elevated solar activity was making Uranus behave in anomalous ways. It is, therefore, perhaps not surprising to find that other readings made by the probe may have misrepresented the planet's usual state of existence. However, the findings of Wang's team still suggest that something weird is going on with the planet. Jupiter emits 113 percent, Saturn 139 percent, and Neptune 162 percent more heat than they receive from the Sun. Since Neptune is farther from the Sun than Uranus, the distance can't be an explanation for Uranus's lower internal temperature. This suggests that there's still something weird happening inside the giant – whether it's a different internal structure, or something about its evolutionary history. This difference, the researchers say, underscores the need to probe our Solar System's overlooked outer planets. "A future flagship mission to Uranus would provide critical observations to address more unresolved questions of this enigmatic ice giant," they write in their paper. The research has been published in Geophysical Research Letters. Related News Humans Felt The Effects of Weird Space Weather 41,000 Years Ago Strange 'Fossil' World Detected at Fringes of Solar System Fuzzy, Large, And Very Old: Everything We Know About Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Solve the daily Crossword
Medscape
18-07-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Targeting Macrophages in Peritoneal Colorectal Cancer
This transcript has been edited for clarity. Hello. I'm David Kerr, professor of cancer medicine from University of Oxford. I'd like to talk today about peritoneal carcinomatosis and some of the underpinning biology that makes this such a dismally prognostic feature of advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer. There's a fantastic group out of the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam with Louis Vermeulen and his colleague, Dr Grootjans, the group leaders there, who've done some lovely work in dissecting the immune microenvironment of peritoneal deposits. They discovered that peritoneal resident macrophages constitute, or create, a very immunosuppressive environment in metastatic peritoneal colorectal cancer. It's difficult to treat. If we look at response rates to conventional chemotherapy, the response rate is one third in the peritoneum compared to that in the liver or lungs. I've often long considered it a pharmacologic sanctuary site. Perhaps it's to do with drug access, drug distribution, and so on. They've shown, using a mixture of biopsies from patients and in some compelling mouse models, that these resident macrophages play a very important role in suppressing the immune microenvironment. Of course, they've characterized the macrophages very carefully. We can see the immunosuppressive cytokines, like interleukin-10 and VEGF, so that the whole story is very plausible. Equally as important, in a very relevant mouse model of peritoneal metastasis, they showed that this immunosuppressive phenotype can be reversed by using a CSF1 receptor antagonist. This is of interest to me because for a long while, we were interested in a very rare tumor type called tenosynovial giant cell tumor, which can be treated very successfully with CSF1 receptor inhibitors. These drugs exist. They've been approved for the treatment of that very rare macrophage-driven disease, and it looks as if, building on the biology demonstrated by this excellent Amsterdam group, there may be a therapeutic intervention that we could make that's rational and based on depleting these resident macrophages that seem to be the dominant, contributory factor to this rancorous immune microenvironment. This is another opportunity to build on very plausible biology from an outstanding group with drugs that we may already have available. There's a challenge to those who are using the drugs to treat tenosynovial giant cell tumors. Can we actually bring these into the clinic in some way and consider whether we should give the drugs systemically or even locoregionally by giving them intraperitoneally? I think that would be a really interesting experiment to do. Have a look at the paper. There are very clever signs, as you would expect, but think about the potential therapeutic implications. You heard it here first. As always, thanks for listening. I'd be very grateful for any comments or anything you might like to add to this. For the time being, as always, Medscapers, over and out.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The health conditions that may increase risk of dementia
Developing illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes before the age of 55 could significantly increase the chance of having dementia in later life, a new study suggests. Strokes or the onset of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression between 55 and 70 could also increase risk two-fold, according to research. Experts at the University of Oxford said up to 80 per cent of dementia patients suffer from two or more chronic health conditions, but there is a "lack of understanding" when it comes to specific illnesses, age of onset and the link to dementia. They identified "critical time windows" in which certain illnesses pose the greatest risk to patients. For the study, published in Brain Communications, researchers analysed data from 282,712 people using the UK Biobank and looked at patterns for 46 chronic health conditions. They found that heart conditions such as heart disease and atrial fibrillation, as well as diabetes, before the age of 55 was most strongly linked to dementia risk. However, from 55 to 70 years of age, mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression, as well as conditions such as stroke, increased the risk of dementia two-fold. Experts at the University of Oxford said up to 80 per cent of dementia patients suffer from two or more chronic health conditions (Getty/iStock) Sana Suri, an associate professor and Oxford Brain Sciences senior fellow, said: 'Although we knew that multimorbidity increased the risk of dementia, it was unclear which combinations of health conditions had the most impact and in what sequence. 'This study has identified how specific illnesses tend to co-exist with each other, and also the critical time windows in which they could pose the greatest risk.' Elsewhere, the study suggests people who have conditions such as heart disease and diabetes in middle age, followed later by conditions such as stroke and mental health disorders were at the greatest risk of developing dementia. Ms Suri said the presence of other illnesses should be taken into account when estimating a person's risk of developing dementia, and could help develop strategies that aim to reduce risk at certain points in life. She added: 'This study identified associations between multimorbidity and dementia risk but we need to understand more about why this happens. 'We also need to try to replicate the study in more diverse groups of people to ensure the results are representative of the population. 'Future studies could examine whether efforts to manage or prevent cardiovascular problems in early-to-midlife, followed by mental health and neurological disorders when people are in their 50s and 60s, might reduce the risk of dementia.'
