Battling Heart and Stroke

A large community of Indian Asians - also sometimes called South Asians- reside in the UK. These are people who originated from the Indian subcontinent - from the countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Results from a recent prospective study show that Indian Asian patients with acute coronary heart syndrome are way much younger than white Europeans. It is not uncommon to see Indian Asians in their 20s being diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease.

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Do you have an undiagnosed risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD)? You think it’s highly unlikely? Well, think again.

According to a British study, one in three people with high cardiovascular risk over the next years are unaware of their risk, and neither are their health care providers. In other words, it is very often that the risk remains undiagnosed until it manifests in overt symptoms. This oversight in risk assessment is especially strongest in middle-aged men.

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When we speak of cholesterol, negative thoughts of blocked arteries and heart attacks come to mind. However, not all types of cholesterol are detrimental to our health. There are 2 main types of cholesterol in our body - the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and the high-density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL cholesterol is considered to be “bad” cholesterol and is linked to atherosclerosis. LDL levels in our blood should therefore be kept low. HDL is deemed to be the “good” cholesterol and high levels of HDL in the blood may actually be beneficial and decrease the risk of heart attacks. HDL cholesterol plays important roles in several vital biological functions including clearance of excess cholesterol from the blood, assistance in the maturation process of nerve-cell synapses, and controlling the formation of beta-amyloid. Beta-amyloid is the major component of plaque deposits found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study demonstrated the role of HDL in the development of dementia. Low levels of HDL are linked to having memory loss in middle age and dementia later in life. The report is based on data collected by the Whitehall II study, a long-term health research study involving more than 10,000 British civil servants working in London. The study has been ongoing since 1985. More →

Earlier this week, the British House of Commons voted by a large majority the amendments for Human Fertilization and Embryonic Research Act which allows scientists to produce human-animal hybrid embryos for stem cell research.

It is the belief of many scientists, lawmakers, as well as patients that the key to future therapies that can cure diseases - from cardiovascular disorders to cancer - lie in stem cell research.

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