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Lack Of Sleep Could Be More Dangerous For Women Than Men
Women who get less than the recommended eight hours sleep a night are at higher risk of heart disease and heart-related problems than men with the same sleeping patterns.
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News Reports Examine Patients Unable To Pay Health Bills In Kenya's "Cash Starved" Hospitals; "Bad Shape" Of Uganda's Facilities
The Los Angeles Times examines several stories of patients too poor to pay their hospital bills in Kenya that were held in a "makeshift patients" prison," until they escape or settle their debt. "Tragically, healthcare horror stories are common in Africa, where developing countries rarely have medical safety nets for the poor. But an increase in cases of cash-starved public hospitals and mortuaries detaining patients and even corpses over unpaid bills is spurring outrage in Kenya," writes the newspaper.
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Fewer Americans Following Healthy Lifestyle
A new study found that compared with two decades ago, fewer Americans are following a healthy lifestyle. This is despite the mounting evidence
Nutrition

UCLA Study Discovers Enzyme That Controls 'Bad' Cholesterol

BACKGROUND: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the so-called "bad cholesterol" often linked to medical problems like heart disease and clogged arteries. Cells in the liver produce a specific receptor that sticks to LDL and removes it from the blood, lowering cholesterol levels. Statin drugs also reduce LDL cholesterol levels by boosting cells" production of the receptor. FINDINGS: Using a mouse model, UCLA scientists discovered a new mechanism that controls cells" production of LDL receptor. The team identified an enzyme called Idol that destroys the receptor, permitting more LDL cholesterol to circulate in the blood. In blocking Idol"s activity, the researchers triggered cells to make more receptor and absorb more cholesterol from the body. "We only know of three pathways that regulate the LDL receptor. The first two are already targeted by existing drugs," explained Dr. Peter Tontonoz, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "Idol is the first mechanism discovered in several years that may lead to a new medication designed to control cholesterol levels." IMPACT: The findings suggest that development of a drug that interferes with Idol"s activity could influence cholesterol metabolism and lower levels of bad cholesterol. Doctors could prescribe the new medication in conjunction with statin drugs, which also cut cholesterol levels by targeting a different enzyme linked to the LDL receptor. This could benefit patients that cannot tolerate statin-related side effects. AUTHORS: Tontonoz collaborated with Noam Zelcer, Cynthia Hong and Rima Boyadjian. The research was funded by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Tontonoz and Zelcer have filed a patent related to the research findings. JOURNAL: The research appears in the June 11 online edition of the journal Science. Elaine Schmidt University of California - Los Angeles


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