Cholesterol Confusion Continues!

Hi and welcome to this week’s look at what’s making headlines in natural health on iHealthTube.com…

Cholesterol confusion continues this week.  When it comes to cholesterol… a new study is indicating you can get too much of a good thing.

The study shows that very high levels of HDL or high-density cholesterol… which is commonly referred to as ‘good’ cholesterol, may be associated with an increased risk of heart attack or death.  Often physicians have told patients the higher the good cholesterol, the better.  But the study of almost 6 thousand participants, indicated those with HDL levels greater than 60 milligrams per deciliter had a nearly 50 percent increased risk of dying from a cardiovascular cause or having a heart attack compared to those with HDL between 41 and 60.

The results lead the lead author to say that it may be time to change the way physicians and others view HDL cholesterol.

And another new study is not helping clear up confusion regarding alcohol and how much, if any might be healthy.

The study out of the University of Washington is indicating there is no safe level of drinking alcohol.  It showed that in 2016 nearly 3 million deaths globally were linked to alcohol use… and 12 percent of deaths in males between ages 15 to 49.  The study assessed alcohol-related health outcomes over a 25 year period over almost 200 countries and by age and sex.  It attributed alcohol to 23 health outcomes like cardiovascular diseases, cancers, non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cirrhosis and communicable diseases like respiratory infections and tuberculosis.

The lead author said the study clearly links alcohol and health and that drinking causes substantial health loss in a number of ways.

Finally… how much do you men sleep each night?  It may make a big difference in a major health risk.

The study out of Sweden found that for middle aged men, sleeping five hours or less per night had twice the risk of developing a major cardiovascular event during the following two decades compared to those who sleep seven to eight hours a night.

The author said the cardiovascular risk associated with poor sleep is similar to that of smoking or having diabetes at age 50.

That’s a look at what’s making headlines in natural health this week.  Make sure to go to iHealthTube.com and sign up for our free email newsletter to stay connected to the latest in natural health.