NEW YORK (Reuters) - Merck & Co on Thursday said an independent data safety monitoring board has approved continuation of a big study meant to determine whether its blockbuster Vytorin cholesterol drug prevents heart attacks and stroke. Merck said a green light for the so-called "IMPROVE-IT" study to continue was given after the panel conducted an interim analysis of safety and ...

LONDON (Reuters) - Only half of patients at high risk of heart disease are given the right targets for cutting their cholesterol and millions may suffer heart attack or stroke due to doctors' poor advice, scientists said on Thursday. German researchers said that over 10 years, around 50 to 80 heart attacks, strokes and heart disease-related deaths per 1,000 patients ...

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People looking to improve their heart health by lowering their cholesterol levels won't find help from calcium and vitamin D supplements, according to a new study. While claims have been made for a beneficial effect of calcium and vitamin D on cholesterol levels, supporting evidence is thin, the study's lead author, Dr. Swapnil Rajpathak ...

President Barack Obama will be saying "No, I won't" to dessert and high-fat foods after an annual check-up showed his LDL cholesterol level has crept up, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Monday. "He would be also the first to tell you that he has probably had a few more cheeseburgers, and I think he would admittedly tell you ...