A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 30 RCTs highlighted numerous benefits associated with vegetarian and vegan diets. Combining a plant-based diet with statin therapy, one researcher noted, could result “in an even larger beneficial effect.”

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world’s leading cause of death, according to a new report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.[1] High blood pressure, high cholesterol, unhealthy diets and air pollution were cited as the biggest factors responsible for CVD. The report, “The Global Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases and Risk: A Compass for Future Health,” represents…

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is often called “the good cholesterol” due to the belief that low HDL-C levels indicate a person faces a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). According to a new analysis in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, however, HDL-C levels may not be as effective at predicting CVD risk as scientists originally…

A Chinese study of over 5,000 high-risk adults, published in JAMA Network Open, showed significantly lower baseline arterial stiffness values for statin users, as well as slower progression of arterial stiffness over time.[1]  On average, statin users had a baseline brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) that was 33.6 centimeters per second lower than non-users. In addition, statin users’…