Monitoring cholesterol build-ups
Ever since my doctor alerted me to the high levels of cholesterol, I started paying attention not only to the diet, but also to the technology and science surrounding cardiovascular system. MIT Technology Review now runs a story of Imaging Cholesterol Buildup in the Heart, where Mount Sinai researchers have finally figured out a way to monitor cholesterol buildup in blood vessels - something that was virtually impossible previously:
Directly labeling the plaque inside blood vessels with a marker that
can be detected by MRI, known as a contrast agent, could provide a
better picture. But getting these molecules across the vessel lining
has been a challenge. New research shows that contrast agents that
mimic a natural molecule–high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good”
cholesterol–could do the trick. Normally, HDL passes through arteries
and attaches to low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol,
carrying it out of arteries to the liver.
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