• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Arab Health Experts Recommend Raising 'Good Cholesterol'

Posted on: Monday, 23 May 2005, 15:00 CDT

The risk of having heart diseases increase dramatically by lowering HDL-Cholesterol. The Good Cholesterol keeps cholesterol away by removing bad Cholesterol deposits from inside the blood vessels that blocks your blood vessels. Hence, the need of the hour is to raise the HDL lipid and minimize the risk of heart and artery diseases.

According to the studies, the risk of heart diseases is high with patients having low HDL-C as well as those having a high content of LDL Cholesterol (the Bad Cholesterol), the lipids block the blood vessels which can lead to a heart attack or stroke. People with diabetes tend to have low HDL (The Good Cholesterol) and high triglyceride (another kind of blood fat) levels, both of which boost the risk of heart and artery diseases.

This came up for discussion at a conference titled "First Arab Meeting on HDL-C", which was organised by Merck, the German pharmaceutical major, on Friday, May 20, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency. 25 Top health experts, including prominent doctors, from all over the Gulf (Region) attended the one-day conference, which issued the first guidelines for measuring HDL and raising it.

Professor Mohamed Al-Maatouq of Saudi Arabia said: The conference also called on the physicians to ask for a complete lipid profile for patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Heart Diseases, which will go a long way in minimizing the risk of heart and artery diseases.

Ramy Sourial, Product Manager, Merck Regional Office, said: "The conference organised by Merck, discussed at length various facets of the HDL-C and ways to raise its content in the blood. It is noteworthy that in a recent trial (ARBITER 2), it was found that an HDL raiser agent has resulted in protection of the blood vessels that were narrowed by the Bad Cholesterol. This agent is expected to help patients with heart diseases and those with diabetes to raise their HDL (Good cholesterol) and minimize the risk of heart and artery diseases."The results of the ARBITER 2 Study were announced in the American Heart Association Meeting. "Merck devotes extensive efforts to increase access to medicines through far-reaching programs that not only donate Merck medicines but help deliver them to the people who need them. The use of this raiser agent, which was discussed at length at the conference, will boost the HDL-C in the blood, leading to a safer heart and lifestyle," added Sourial.Voicing similar views, Dr Mohamed Al-Zubaid of Kuwait, said: "There are several kinds of Cholesterol in the blood and the discussions at the conference focused on ways and means to raise the HDL-C.Headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, the Merck Group generates annual sales of more than EUR 6 billion in the fields of Pharmaceuticals, Laboratory, and Specialty Chemicals. Founded in 1668 as a pharmacy, the Merck Group is represented today by almost 171 operating companies in 52 countries and employs 28,500 people worldwide.Today, Merck KGaA is recognized as a world leader in the research, development, manufacturing and marketing of ethical pharmaceuticals, generic medications, liquid crystals, and specialty chemicals.The Merck KGaA product range includes more than 20,000 items, from prescription and over the counter drugs and vitamins to biomaterials, reagents, chemicals, liquid crystals, pigments and more.

2005 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Source: Al Bawaba

More News in this Category