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Providing independent clinical excellence since 2005

The SCVC Blog

Cardiovascular care news and articles from our expert team

Does curcumin reduce inflammation and possibly lower raised LP (a)?

Research indicates that approximately 20% of the global population has elevated Lp(a), making it a prevalent, yet under-recognised, CVD risk factor. Despite its clinical significance, the management of elevated Lp(a) remains challenging. Standard lipid-lowering therapies, including statins, have little to no effect on Lp(a) and may even slightly increase its levels. However, emerging therapies such as PCSK9 inhibitors and innovative supplements like curcumin are shedding light on potential strategies to mitigate this risk.

LAD-Stenosis

Is coronary artery calcification good or bad?

Recognition that significant coronary artery disease exists without calcification led to the wider user of contrast-enhanced CT scans to detect both calcified and noncalcified plaques. Even more advanced scans identify not only the non calcified plaques, but also areas of inflammation (using data processing to measure FAI), that a non-contrast CT (such as a CAC scan) would otherwise miss. Sequential CAC to follow up disease progression quickly established that an increase in CAC with age was inevitable in most patients and not linked to clinical course, so is not widely practiced.

What are the latest guidelines target for LDL?

For patients who have been diagnosed with an acute coronary syndrome, requiring bypass surgery or stent, or have CT Angiography and or raised FAI, the latest European and UK guidelines reflect the finding that there is no lower limit for LDL yet discovered, basically meaning the lower the better. These recommendations come after new trials with lower targets showed better outcomes. As a result, millions of people around the world need to be looking more carefully at whether they are taking sufficient medication to lower their LDL to these new targets, for the very best outcomes to be achieved.