Active clinical trials for "Hypercholesterolemia"

To perform genetic studies of low density lipoprotein (LDL) subclasses in 160 families in whom the probands had metabolically defined hypercholesterolemia.

To conduct focused studies of lipoprotein physiology and pathophysiology in genetically characterized patients with the objectives of understanding disease mechanisms, developing better treatments, and identifying and preventing early vascular disease.

Several types of human cells convert cholesterol into other molecules, including oxysterols. Oxysterols can promote breast cancer growth and help tumours to spread. Some breast cancer types recruit other cells (host cells) able to produce oxysterols within the local cancer environment. How these other cells help breast tumours metastasize or resist chemotherapy is not well understood, but epidemiological and clinical studies suggest elevated LDL-C is associated with worse survival, poorer response to therapy and an increased propensity for disease relapse in breast cancer patients. In this trial the investigators will test how an LDL-C lowering dietary intervention (using commercially available phytosterol added food products), alters the ability of non-cancer cells (adipocytes, fibroblasts and macrophages) collected from high LDL-C volunteers to change chemotherapy response and metastatic process in breast cancer cells. In this trial, volunteers with high LDL-C levels will be recruited by the University of Leeds, and divided randomly into two arms that cross over. The experimental period (yogurt drink enriched with phytosterols) and placebo period (non-enriched yogurt drink) will each last for 8 weeks, alternated with a 4 weeks of wash-out period. Samples will be collected 4 times (week-0, week-8, week-12, week-20) during the study and will include blood, white blood cells (macrophages), and fat tissue cells. Measurements will include oxysterol, LDL-C and phytosterol concentrations (volunteers' serum/plasma, media from the host cells/breast cancer experimental culture) and how the host cells alter the behaviour of cancer cells in the laboratory.

The aim of the study is to assess if abnormal lipid levels in childhood could cause early damage of the inner layer of the vessels, the endothelium. Dysfunction of the endothelium is the first event in the development of atherosclerosis, is present at all stages of atherosclerosis and is potentially reversible in childhood. It has been suggested that dyslipidemia, via its detrimental effects on endothelium, could impair renal function. This study will assess the dysfunction of the kidneys in children with dyslipidemia.

The study evaluates if the relationship between total serum cholesterol is dependent on the total serum homocysteine. Fasting blood samples will taken from participants and two batteries of cognitive scales will be used to asses any cognitive decline.

The study aims at testing the level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet among health-workers, comparing this aspect to the extra-working physical activity, anthropometric measures and prevalence of cardiovascular, metabolic and neoplastic diseases previously diagnosed.

Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disease characterized by increased levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). It is underdiagnosed and undertreated despite relatively high prevalence and significant association with increased mortality.

Aortic valve stenosis (AVS), the most common form of valve disease in the western world, afflicts more than 1 million individuals in North America [1] and the burden of AVS is high and is expected to double within the next 50 years [2]. Medical therapy to prevent development or reduce progression of AVS is currently not available and the only effective treatment for AVS is aortic valve replacement, for which costs have been estimated up to 120,000$ [3,4]. Recently, we and others have identified rs10455872 at the LPA locus as a susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) for aortic valve calcification (AVC) and AVS [5,6] and rs10455872 is associated with elevated plasma lipoprotein (Lp)(a) levels [7]. Lp(a) is a LDL-like particle consisting of hepatically synthesized apolipoprotein B-100 that is noncovalently bound to the plasminogen-like glycoprotein apolipoprotein(a) [8]. Lp(a) promotes atherosclerotic stenosis, and possibly thrombosis, and has been hypothesized to contribute to wound healing, each of which could explain an association with AVS [9,10]. Lp(a) is relatively refractory to both lifestyle and drug intervention, with only nicotinic acid and monoclonal antibody inhibition of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 that have showed reductions in Lp(a) levels [11,12]. However, the evidence that patients with AVS could be characterized by high Lp(a) levels is scarce. Glader et al. [13] showed that plasma levels of Lp(a) were almost 1.5-fold higher in 101 patients with AVS compared to matched controls, although this relationship did not reach statistical significance. Subsequent studies have also reported an association between elevated plasma Lp(a) levels and higher prevalence of AVS. More specifically, Kamstrup and colleagues [14] reported that elevated Lp(a) levels and corresponding genotypes were associated with increased risk of AVS in the general population with levels >90 mg/dL predicting a threefold increased risk. We have measured Lp(a) and oxidized phospholipids plasma levels in 220 patients with mild-to-moderate calcific AVS enrolled in the Aortic Stenosis Progression Observation: Measuring Effects of Rosuvastatin (ASTRONOMER) trial [15]. Results of this study suggest that high Lp(a) and oxidized phospholipids both predict calcific AVS progression, especially in younger patients with calcific AVS. We also found that statin therapy considerably increased both Lp(a) and oxidized phospholipids levels. Whether the fact that statins increase these risk factors for calcific AVS might explain at least to a certain extent why statins failed to promote calcific AVS regression or stabilization in at least four trials, including ASTRONOMER. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal codominant single-gene disorder caused by mutations in the LDL receptor gene that disrupt normal clearance of LDL. Phenotypic features characteristic of the disease's heterozygous form are 2- to 3-fold raise in plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations, tendinous xanthomatosis and premature atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. High Lp(a) levels have been shown to explain residual cardiovascular disease risk in FH [16,17]. Recent studies have demonstrated that FH heterozygotes have elevated AVC compared with non-FH subjects [18] and that Lp(a) levels were positively correlated with AVC in asymptomatic FH heterozygotes [19]. Vongpromek et al. [19] demonstrated that plasma Lp(a) concentration is a independent risk factor for AVC in a cohort of 129 asymptomatic heterozygous FH patients aged between 40 and 69 years. In this study, AVC was significantly associated with plasma Lp(a) level, age, body mass index, blood pressure, duration of statin use, cholesterol-year score and coronary artery calcification (CAC) score.

In 2012, an Expert Panel of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute published guidelines on cardiovascular health and risk reduction in children; among these guidelines were screening recommendations for obesity and obesity-related conditions. Following publication of this report there was a call for caution and for increased patient (parent, child) input on implementing these guidelines. There are limited current studies evaluating patient-centered outcomes (PCO) in the well-child setting, however, given the childhood obesity epidemic, there is a clear need for such an evaluation. The city of Detroit, MI ranks first among 22 cities with data for the prevalence of overweight and obese youth (39.7%), making Henry Ford Health System, which is located in Detroit, MI, an ideal setting to study childhood obesity related research questions.

Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant somatic mutation commonly located on the LDL-receptor, APOB, and PCKS9 gene. The estimated prevalence of homozygous FH is estimated at 1 in a million, whereas the prevalence of heterozygous FH ranges from 1/500-1/200 (0.2-0.5%) of the general population. The majority of individuals suffering from FH remain undiagnosed and without treatment. Using preexisting clinical guidelines, this study scored patients within national cardiovascular disease (CVD) registries for FH with the aim of evaluating prevalence of FH among individuals suffering from premature cardiac events within the UK. Following scoring of the registry, this study also examined the relationship between cholesterol and survival after a premature event in order to understand the possible ramifications of untreated FH on patient survival.