WEDNESDAY, Aug. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers who last year reported a possible link between cholesterol-lowering statin drugs and cancer now say that further analysis has disproved such an association.

Statin medications include such blockbusters as Crestor, Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor.

(HealthDay News) -- Too much dietary cholesterol can lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood, which can be a risk factor for heart disease.

The Cleveland Clinic offers these suggestions to help lower your cholesterol:

* Avoid high-fat or fried foods.
* When you do eat foods with fat, look for foods with unsaturated, not saturated, fat.
* Reduce the amount of red meat that you eat, and eat more fish and poultry.
* Get enough soluble fiber by eating plenty of fruits, beans, peas and oats.
* Don't eat more than three egg yolks per week.

CHICAGO - You can look great in a swimsuit and still be a heart attack waiting to happen. And you can also be overweight and otherwise healthy. A new study suggests that a surprising number of overweight people — about half — have normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, while an equally startling number of trim people suffer from some of the ills associated with obesity.

The first national estimate of its kind bolsters the argument that you can be hefty but still healthy, or at least healthier than has been believed.

(HealthDay News) -- Measuring proteins that carry cholesterol in the blood may give a better estimate of heart attack risk than measuring cholesterol, a major study finds.

The study focused on the ratio of two of the proteins, called apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB) and apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1). The international team of researchers studied data on more than 27,000 people and found that the ratio of apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB) to apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) accounted for 54 percent of the risk of heart attack.

In the midst of high gas prices, salmonella outbreaks, and a presidential election comes a health story about pediatricians recommending cholesterol drugs for 8-year-old kids.

http://empowher.com/news/heart-blood/200...

Some experts say the first line of defense for kids when battling obesity should be exercise and nutritional counseling. Others say that plan of action may not be aggressive enough. What do you think?

For our Dallas-area members, here's a free health event happening today that you might want to know about ....

CVS, located at 2101 W. Spring Creek Parkway in Plano (972-943-0601), is offering free blood pressure and cholesterol screenings for the public today until 8:00 pm. Please visit our new Health Events calendar at http://events.empowher.com for more information on this as well as other events.

There are wonderful free and low cost health events such as this one happening every day all over the country. Find them on Health Events!

Health Events, EmpowHer's new national online health events calendar, will launch next week. Here's a preview of the wonderful free, low cost and convenient health events that you can find on Health Events:
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Scottsdale Healthcare’s Women’s Health Services is making it easier for busy women in the Phoenix area to get their health screenings done.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, May 22 (HealthDay News) -- Standard cholesterol evaluations may help predict which women are at risk for heart problems while taking hormone replacement therapy, and which women are not.

Simply put, those with good cholesterol levels experience no increased risk for heart attacks while taking hormone therapy, while women with high levels do have a heightened risk, a new study suggests.

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 21 (HealthDay News) -- Men who keep their cholesterol down might also help lower their levels of prostate specific antigen, a protein that can warn of prostate cancer, a new study says.

My parents use a butter spread that claims to "actively remove cholesterol". I've noticed several types of butter/oil spreads at the grocery store, meant to replace butter or margarine, and are touted as "healthy alternatives".

However, one brand says that it is "clinically proven to actively remove cholesterol". Is this true, and to what degree? Is this butter spread actually healthy (use some every day) or is it just a healthy alternative (no trans-fat like butter).