MAY 23, 2000
ThirdAge News
Several ongoing studies point to acetaminophen — found in Tylenol — as being a protector against hardening of the arteries.
“We found that acetaminophen blocks the activity of myeloperoxidase,” says Phillip Greenspan, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at The University of Georgia. The co-author of the study says, “This is one of the chief enzymes involved in coronary artery disease.”
Greenspan’s research adds to earlier studies in humans and animals that link the use of acetaminophen with LDL cholesterol levels. He says mounting evidence suggests that “acetaminophen may block a critical pathway in the development of coronary heart disease.”
Results of the study were presented this week at the Conference on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology in Denver. They showed that acetaminophen inhibits an enzyme linked to the disease-causing properties of low-density lipoproteins. This keeps LDLs from transforming into particles that contribute to hardening of the arteries.
In addition, they showed that acetaminophen inhibited a mechanism that prevents hardening.
Previous studies have shown that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is an important risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. HDL is the “good” cholesterol that’s vital for preventing heart disease and other cardiovascular problems but it can’t be kept in check without a way to get rid of it. That’s usually achieved by taking statins to lower cholesterol and lowering or eliminating saturated fat.
However, other drugs that lower cholesterol can also raise LDLs (so-called “bad” cholesterol) – which may be more harmful to the heart. That’s why researchers have increasingly been looking at drugs to target LDL.
Atherosclerosis — hardening of the arteries — contributes to stroke and coronary heart disease. According to American Heart Association statistics, heart disease is the number one cause of death for Americans and stroke kills 160,000 every year.
In a study published last year in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, scientists at Baylor College of Medicine studied over 1,200 patients with type 2 diabetes. They found that participants with the highest body mass index (BMI of 30 or higher) — defined as a BMI greater than 25 — were up to 70 percent more likely to have a stroke than people with a BMI of 22 or lower, same with people who would take regularly. As BMI increases, the risk of cardiovascular event increases over time, especially in people with cardiovascular risk factors.
In addition, researchers found that BMI accounted for 70 percent of the variation in stroke risk among participants with type 2 diabetes, making it an important determinant of risk. According to data from Diabetes Risk in Communities (DRC) study, which followed over 100,000 women for 11 years, stroke risk decreased with increasing BMI
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