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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2004)
% ■ATION 7A THE BATTALION Thursday, April 8, 2004 tudy: New drug ousts levels of :ood cholesterol oy” Jten soli Vorldy of meij tier s pj^l ihisajJ n. Lefil the duiJ ig mesij i ncampr| 'togU vhichliti ehtrediJ irance d /growls Whalitj is paniri laniic ii, td toil een side dun BysH r.heiss)i 's wing, g prolop elp 1®! wonM’ By Linda A. Johnson THE ASSOCIATED PRESS I An experimental drug can dramatically boost levels of |DL, the good cholesterol, potentially offering an entirely ijiew way to prevent heart tacks. In a preliminary study, searchers at University of nnsylvania and Tufts Diversity found that the ug doubled HDL in peo- pe with worrisomely low vels of the heart-healthy lubstance. The drug, called rcetrapib, also reduced DL, the bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol reduces ie risk of heart disease; bad liolesterol raises it. I Until now, doctors have loncentrated largely on lower- |g bad cholesterol by giving latients statin drugs, which are Ised by millions of Americans Ind reduce heart attacks by ■bout one-third. Many experts lope to drive down heart dis use still further by boosting lood cholesterol, too, and sev- Iral strategies are in testing. I The latest study was small, ■volving just 19 patients, Kut its striking results suggest lorcetrapib can have a powerful Iffect. The drug is still a few years way from reaching the market, he next step will be to test its afety and effectiveness in uch larger numbers of volun- ;eers and show whether the igher HDL truly results in ewer heart attacks and strokes. “One of the big questions it we do have with this irugis: Will using it to raise 'DL levels from normal to itgh actually reduce risk in ople who are at high risk?” the study’s senior author, r. Daniel Rader, Penn’s lirector of preventive cardio- ascular medicine. Ultimately, the drug could e used in combination with tatins to simultaneously lower HEART HEALTH Raising HDL levels An experimental drug can drama tically raise blood levels of heart- protecting HDL - or good cholesterol - a preliminary study of 19 patients shows. Patients who took the drug called torcetrapib twice a day for a month more than doubled their HDL level. Levels of HDL cholesterol, measured in milligrams per deciliter I 1 Placebo * HHI Experimental drug 70 Below 60 for 50 | 40 1 30 20 10 ow 40 is a risk factor H heart disease 111 Lipitor and Torcetrapib Torcetrapib torcetrapib i twice a day Once a day SOURCE: New England Journal of Medicine AP boy's s He lias acoi d pi alypse* f elders' Victims Continued from page 1A Lippincott said that these assaults can happen with a friend, | acquaintance, boyfriend or girlfriend. “The weapon most often used is trust,” Lippincott said. Baron said 90 percent of campus rapes are alcohol- I related and encouraged students to look out for each other when alcohol is involved. Baron said friends should not allow those who have been drinking to leave by themselves. Lippincott said use of date rape drugs has increased, and friends should watch I each other’s drinks. “It’s important when college kids go out to parties to keep an I eye out for each other,” Lippincott said. “You don’t have to be drinking alcohol; it could be juice, water or soda, and someone | can slip something into your drink.” Lippincott said that even if someone is sexually assaulted I because of a bad judgment on his or her part, it is important to I remember it is not the victim’s fault. “The responsibility lies in the hands of the perpetrator,” I Lippincott said. “Even if the victim exercised poor judgment, it’s | no excuse for someone else’s felony.” Cabrina Scott, a crime analyst for the College Station Police [ Department, said 31 sexual assaults were reported to the CSPD | in 2003 and urged victims of sexual assault to report it to the police. “It does happen and it can happen,” Scott said. “If they have | done it once, they will do it again.” Lippincott urged Aggies to take advantage of the month to ! learn about sexual assaults. “Texas A&M has a reputation of Aggies looking out for each [other, and sexual assault affects Texans of all backgrounds,” Lippincott said. “Sexual Assault Awareness Month allows Aggies to come together and help each other out.” Hit nisgW f tile' ully*1 acteft sto# ixai Irgan Continued from page 1A candidates on national waiting lists, and that every 14 minutes, pomeone dies waiting for a life saving organ transplant. “The simple act of signing an )rgan donor card and sharing ane's decision to donate with family members can make a rorld of difference for patients kince becoming an organ donor, )ne person can save or help up \o 50 other people,” Habib said. A quilt from the National udney Foundation featuring tanels dedicated to organ ionors was displayed in academic Plaza Wednesday, and it featured a panel dedicated to Stephenson’s brother-in-law. “My wife made the quilt square four years ago and the panel (in memory of his brother in law) is just now completed, and we are one of the first organizations to get to display it,” Stephenson said. Ashley Parker said she thinks organ donation is a positive thing, and more people should consider becoming a donor. “Why not give life to someone when you have the opportunity to help?” said Ashley, a sophomore education major. For more information on organ donation you can go to http://www.donorworld.com/. a patient’s bad cholesterol and boost good cholesterol. The study, paid for in part by Pfizer Inc., torcetrapib’s maker, was published in Thursday’s New England Journal of Medicine. Currently, the only HDL raiser in the market is the vita min niacin, but its effects are modest and side effects, such as itching and hot flashes, bother many patients. Whether torcetrapib will prove to be the first potent prescription drug in this cate gory will require much more study, but some researchers said they were impressed by the initial results. “I’m convinced that it works,” said Dr. Norman Lasser, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark. Where will it take you? Through USAC, a consortium of U.S. universities, you can choose from 31 programs in 21 countries. With 20 years of experience, you can be sure that you have someone to turn to throughout your educational adventures. 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