Cholesterol basically gums up the arteries and causes blood flow problems to occur should you have too much of the "LDL" kind of cholesterol in your system.

New research shows that higher-than-normal cholesterol levels happen because cholesterol causes a decline in the activity of a chemical called transforming growth factor, aka TGF. Now, that's not a sci-fi line form a movie.

TGF may now be a research area with growth potential since it was found that cholesterol was found to weaken the response of TGF. Oddly, statin drugs increased the activity of TGF while lowering the amount of cholesterol.

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Genes are starting to show up in the medical news in abundance these days, and MIT researchers said this past week that a gene already associated with longer life span may also be linked to a lower cholesterol levels in the body as well.

The gene was connected to a pathway that clears cholesterol from the body, and the researchers stated that this finding could pave the way for more effective drugs that lower the risk of diseases like atherosclerosis (clogged arteries).

The identified gene, called SIRT1, causes 'good' cholesterol (the HDL kind) to actually flush away bad cholesterol buildup by using a 'cellular pathway' as the activating mechanism.

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High blood pressure in adults is something of a norm nowadays. Since we've got pills for just about everything, why not add another one in the morning to combat blood pressure? Well, when a doctor prescribes such a medication it would be prudent to follow through with the treatment. However there are some non-medical options you can explore to work alongside any meds your doctor may have given you. As this article featuring tips for lowering blood pressure tells us, by complementing a doctor's treatment it could only help and may even lead to getting off medication altogether.

Of course the factors for getting high blood pressure are numerous. It can be genetic, so the only thing that can be done is medication. Blood pressure issues can also stem from being overweight or consuming too much salt. As we all know, exercise (or lack thereof) plays a huge role in our overall health -- so getting within the normal 120/80 value range is dependent on that factor as well.

This article hammers home the truth that lifestyle changes are necessary for making inroads in better health. Quitting smoking, reducing salt intake, exercise daily, and watching saturated fats are all among the common ways to combat high blood pressure (and other things too!). Check the site for more articles on this topic.

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