Drugs known as statins are the first-choice treatment for high cholesterol but millions of people who can't or won't take those pills because of side effects may have another option.In a major study, a different kind of cholesterol-lowering drug named Nexletol reduced the risk of heart attacks and some other cardiovascular problems in people who can't tolerate statins, researchers reported Saturday.Doctors already prescribe the drug, known chemically as bempedoic acid, to be used together with a statin to help certain high-risk patients further lower their cholesterol. The new study tested Nexletol without the statin combination -- and offers the first evidence that it also reduces the risk of cholesterol-caused health problems.Statins remain “the cornerstone of cholesterol-lowering therapies,” stressed Dr. Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, who led the study.But people who can’t take those proven pills “are very needy patients, they’re extremely difficult to treat,” he said. This option “will have a huge impact on public health.”Too much so-called LDL or “bad” cholesterol can clog arteries and lead to heart attacks and strokes. Statin pills like Lipitor and Crestor – or their cheap generic equivalents – are the mainstay for lowering LDL cholesterol and preventing heart disease or treating those who already have it. They work by blocking some of the liver’s cholesterol production.But some people suffer serious muscle pain from statins. While it’s not clear exactly how often that occurs, by some estimates 10% of people who’d otherwise qualify for the pills can’t or won’t take them. They have limited options, including pricey cholesterol-lowering shots and another kind of pill sold as Zetia.Nexletol also blocks cholesterol production in the liver but in a different way than statins and without that muscle side effect.The new five-year study tracked nearly 14,000 people who were unable to tolerate more than a very low dose of a statin. Half got daily Nexletol and half a dummy pill.The main finding: Nexletol-treated patients had a 13% lower risk of a group of major cardiac problems. Then researchers teased apart those different conditions and found a 23% reduced risk of a heart attack, the biggest impact. The drug also cut by 19% procedures to unclog arteries. There wasn’t a difference in deaths, which researchers couldn’t explain but said might require longer to detect.The data was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented Saturday at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology. The study was funded by Nexletol maker Esperion Therapeutics.The results are “compelling,” Dr. John H. Alexander of Duke University, who wasn’t involved with the study, wrote in the journal. They “will and should” spur use of the drug by patients unwilling or unable to take statins.“It is premature, however, to consider bempedoic acid as an alternative to statins,” he cautioned. "Given the overwhelming evidence of the vascular benefits,” statins remain the top choice for most patients.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Emily Ross-Teague, Registered Dietitian: "A food label tells you the nutritional content of your food and can help you make decisions about which foods and drinks to buy at the store.

You will find a nutrition facts panel on most packaged foods and drinks. When reading a food label, start by looking at the serving size, located here on the nutrition facts panel. All nutritional information on the label is based on the serving size given. Pay close attention to the number of servings per container, as many products have more than once serving in a package.

Here is an example of a food with two servings in one package. If you were to eat the entire package in one meal or snack, you would be getting twice the amount of calories and other nutrients listed on the panel. Having one serving of this food would provide 190 calories. But the entire package would be 380 calories.

You will find calories listed right below the serving size as well as the amount of fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, protein and some vitamins and minerals. Again, these amounts are all based on one serving of the food or drink.

You may notice some labels include the amount of added sugars per serving. This is located below the total sugar. Limiting added sugars is recommended for weight management and good overall health.

Most nutrients on the nutrition facts panel also have a percent daily value listed. This shows how much of each nutrient is in one serving of food compared to the daily recommended amount. If the percent daily value of a nutrient is 20 percent or greater, this food is considered high in that nutrient. If the percent daily value is 5 percent or less, this food is considered low in that nutrient.

For example, this food is considered high in saturated fat because the percent daily value is higher than 20 percent.

Looking at a different food, we know this food is low in sodium because the percent daily value is less than 5 percent.

A list of ingredients in the food will be located below or beside the nutrition facts panel. The ingredients are listed in order of highest-to-lowest amount with allergy information listed at the end.

If you are looking to buy a whole grain product, use the ingredient list. You should find the words 'whole grain' of 'whole wheat' as part of the first ingredient.

The front of the package may also say '100 percent whole grain' or '100 percent whole wheat.'

If you have other questions about reading food labels, be sure to speak with your registered dietitian."

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The funding for these videos was in part provided by Master Han and the Han’s White Tiger Tae Kwon Do Annual Break-A-Thon. Thank you!

source

HealthWorks! Healthy Living Series: Reading Food Labels
by The Center for Better Health and Nutrition/HealthWorks! at Cincinnati Children's

Emily Ross-Teague, Registered Dietitian: "A food label tells you the nutritional content of your food and can help you make decisions about which foods and drinks to buy at the store.

You will find a nutrition facts panel on most packaged foods and drinks. When reading a food label, start by looking at the serving size, located here on the nutrition facts panel. All nutritional information on the label is based on the serving size given. Pay close attention to the number of servings per container, as many products have more than once serving in a package.

Here is an example of a food with two servings in one package. If you were to eat the entire package in one meal or snack, you would be getting twice the amount of calories and other nutrients listed on the panel. Having one serving of this food would provide 190 calories. But the entire package would be 380 calories.

You will find calories listed right below the serving size as well as the amount of fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrate, protein and some vitamins and minerals. Again, these amounts are all based on one serving of the food or drink.

You may notice some labels include the amount of added sugars per serving. This is located below the total sugar. Limiting added sugars is recommended for weight management and good overall health.

Most nutrients on the nutrition facts panel also have a percent daily value listed. This shows how much of each nutrient is in one serving of food compared to the daily recommended amount. If the percent daily value of a nutrient is 20 percent or greater, this food is considered high in that nutrient. If the percent daily value is 5 percent or less, this food is considered low in that nutrient.

For example, this food is considered high in saturated fat because the percent daily value is higher than 20 percent.

Looking at a different food, we know this food is low in sodium because the percent daily value is less than 5 percent.

A list of ingredients in the food will be located below or beside the nutrition facts panel. The ingredients are listed in order of highest-to-lowest amount with allergy information listed at the end.

If you are looking to buy a whole grain product, use the ingredient list. You should find the words 'whole grain' of 'whole wheat' as part of the first ingredient.

The front of the package may also say '100 percent whole grain' or '100 percent whole wheat.'

If you have other questions about reading food labels, be sure to speak with your registered dietitian."

--

The funding for these videos was in part provided by Master Han and the Han’s White Tiger Tae Kwon Do Annual Break-A-Thon. Thank you!

source