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Background. Statins and exercise are recommended for managing hypercholesterolemia. However, statin types may vary in their interaction with exercise. We compared rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin combination with exercise on lipid profile and functional capacity. Methods. A retrospective cohort study using data from a 12-week cardiovascular rehabilitation program between 2014 and 2016. Statin use was determined through prescriptions, and the average exercise minutes/week were computed from exercise logs. The outcomes were changes in total cholesterol, low- and high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), triglycerides, and functional capacity (6-minute walk test (6MWT)). Directed acyclic graphs were used to identify potential confounders, accounted for using multiple linear regression modeling. Results. The cohort included 282 patients from 106 atorvastatin and 176 rosuvastatin users. The average exercise minutes/week was 109.4 ± 66.1 among atorvastatin and 106.7 ± 49.1 among rosuvastatin users. Interaction models suggested that a higher number of exercise minutes/week were more favorable among atorvastatin users on total cholesterol and LDL (0.004, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.008 and 0.004, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.007, respectively) but did not reach significance for HDL and triglycerides. Rosuvastatin use was associated with greater increases in 6MWT; however, we observed no between-group differences in interaction estimates by the type of statin used. Conclusion. Rosuvastatin use could blunt the beneficial effect of exercise on LDL and total cholesterol compared to atorvastatin. No significant differences were observed in triglycerides, HDL, and functional capacity levels. Additional studies are warranted with randomized treatments and larger samples. Healthcare providers should continue prescribing statins alongside recommending exercise modalities, with a careful follow-up for rosuvastatin users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and non-HDL cholesterol have opposite associations with coronary heart disease, multi-country reports of lipid trends only use total cholesterol (TC). Our aim was to compare trends in total, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio in Asian and Western countries.Methods: We pooled 458 population-based studies with 82.1 million participants in 23 Asian and Western countries. We estimated changes in mean total, HDL and non-HDL cholesterol and mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio by country, sex and age group.Results: Since ∼1980, mean TC increased in Asian countries. In Japan and South Korea, the TC rise was due to rising HDL cholesterol, which increased by up to 0.17 mmol/L per decade in Japanese women; in China, it was due to rising non-HDL cholesterol. TC declined in Western countries, except in Polish men. The decline was largest in Finland and Norway, at ∼0.4 mmol/L per decade. The decline in TC in most Western countries was the net effect of an increase in HDL cholesterol and a decline in non-HDL cholesterol, with the HDL cholesterol increase largest in New Zealand and Switzerland. Mean total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio declined in Japan, South Korea and most Western countries, by as much as ∼0.7 per decade in Swiss men (equivalent to ∼26% decline in coronary heart disease risk per decade). The ratio increased in China.Conclusions: HDL cholesterol has risen and the total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio has declined in many Western countries, Japan and South Korea, with only a weak correlation with changes in TC or non-HDL cholesterol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia (SHTG) are at increased risk of developing acute pancreatitis and cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 carboxylic acids (OM3-CA) are approved for treatment as an adjunct to diet to reduce triglyceride (TG) concentrations in patients with SHTG. Objective The aim of the study was to assess efficacy and safety of the intermediate dose of OM3-CA (2 g daily), compared with olive oil 2 g daily, in reducing serum TG and lipid concentrations in patients with SHTG. Methods A randomized, double-blind, olive oil–controlled, parallel-group trial involving 162 adults with qualifying serum TG concentrations of at least 500 mg/dL (5.65 mmol/L) and <2500 mg/dL (28.25 mmol/L; <2000 mg/dL [22.60 mmol/L] in Canada). The treatment period after randomization was 12 weeks. Blood samples for measurement of fasting serum lipid concentrations were taken at baseline, 6, 10, and 12 weeks. Results Treatment with OM3-CA 2 g daily led to a significant reduction in TG concentrations (median of differences, −14.2% [95% confidence interval: −26.2%, −2.8%; P = .017]) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations (median of differences, −9.0% [95% confidence interval: −14.8%, −2.8%; adjusted P = .018]) from baseline to the Week 12 endpoint, when compared with olive oil 2 g daily. These treatment effects were more pronounced in patients with qualifying TG concentrations >885 mg/dL (10 mmol/L). Conclusion An intermediate dose of OM3-CA (2 g daily) significantly lowers TG and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations in patients with SHTG and may benefit individuals at risk of acute pancreatitis and cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Juvenile north-temperate and Arctic fishes are faced with trade-offs between energy allocation to growth and energy storage (primarily lipids) prior to over-wintering. We determined classical morphometric (fork length, body weight and condition factor) and biochemical (whole body triglycerides, muscle RNA/DNA ratio, muscle proteins) measures of growth and condition in individual young-of-the-year (YOY) Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus). Grayling were collected just prior to over-wintering in late August (approximately 50 days after swim-up) from two natural streams and five locations within a 3.4km long artificial stream constructed as a fish habitat compensation project and diversion channel for the diamond mining industry in Northwest Territories, Canada (64°45′N). Fork lengths, body weights and whole body triglyceride levels in grayling collected from all sites along the artificial stream were significantly lower than fish collected from one of the natural streams. Condition factor (weight-at-length) was not different among grayling collected from natural and artificial streams. Muscle proteins were lower in grayling collected from four sites along the artificial stream compared to the natural streams. In contrast, muscle RNA/DNA ratios were greater in grayling collected from two sites in the artificial stream compared to natural streams. There were no consistent differences in any variable among grayling collected at the five artificial stream sites or among grayling collected from the two natural streams. The higher RNA/DNA ratios and lower fork lengths, whole body triglycerides and muscle proteins in grayling inhabiting the artificial stream are consistent with energy still being primarily allocated to growth in these fish at this late stage of summer. Individuals that are both larger and possess greater energy storage in the form of triglycerides are more likely to survive the long over-wintering period at this latitude. Our results suggest that YOY grayling using the artificial stream as nursery habitat will likely face increased over-winter mortality, thus raising concerns over the use of fish presence, spawning and rearing as criteria for the initial success of artificial streams as habitat compensation measures in Arctic tundra regions. Further research is needed to determine the potential consequences of reduced size and energy storage in juvenile fishes in order to assess the viability of stream fish habitat compensation and restoration projects associated with industrial development in Arctic tundra regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To examine cross-sectional and prospective associations between proinsulin and cardiovascular disease risk factors using data from a population-based study of type 2 diabetes among Native Canadians.Research Design and Methods: Between 1993 and 1995, 72% of eligible members of a Native Canadian community participated in a baseline diabetes prevalence survey. Fasting samples were collected for glucose, C-peptide, proinsulin, lipids, and apolipoproteins. A 75-g oral glucose tolerance test was administered, and a second sample for glucose was drawn after 120 min. Blood pressure and waist circumference were determined. In the present study, subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (n = 505) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (n = 74) were included in cross-sectional analyses. In 1998, 95 individuals who had IGT or NGT at baseline with an elevated 2-h glucose concentration (> or = 7.0 mmol/l) participated in a follow-up evaluation using the protocol used at baseline. Cross-sectional and prospective associations between proinsulin and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed using correlation and multiple linear regression analyses.Results: After adjustment for covariates including age, sex, C-peptide, waist circumference, and glucose tolerance status, fasting proinsulin concentration was significantly associated with concurrently measured lipid and apolipoprotein concentrations (triglycerides: r = 0.18, P < 0.0001; total cholesterol: r = 0.10, P = 0.02; LDL cholesterol: r = 0.11, P = 0.01; HDL cholesterol: r = -0.16, P = 0.0002; apolipoprotein (apo) B: r = 0.17, P < 0.0001; apoAI: r = -0.11, P = 0.008). In the adjusted prospective analysis, baseline triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and apoB were associated with changes over time in proinsulin (r = 0.23, P = 0.04; r = -0.30, P = 0.01; r = 0.23, P = 0.04; respectively).Conclusions: These results confirm previously reported cross-sectional associations between proinsulin and lipid concentrations. In addition, an unexpected association between baseline lipids and proinsulin change was documented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]