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OSU professor explores new ways to lower triglycerides
High blood triglyceride levels, which can lead to heart disease, affect more than 30 percent of adults in the U.S.
Makenna Bishop
Issue date: 4/8/09 Section: News
New developments have recently been discovered in lowering triglyceride levels, which is a factor that may eventually lead to heart disease.
Regis Moreau is an assistant professor and research assistant with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State and has been conducting research on the potential of lipoic acids, dietary supplements that are capable of lowering levels of triglycerides.
Triglycerides are chief lipids consisting of fats and oils, and they function as the storage place of chemical energy in animals and plants. They are also, along with cholesterol levels and blood pressure, one of the key risk factors in cardiovascular-related diseases.
Moreau said that this risk factor of high blood triglyceride levels is very prominent and affects more than 30 percent of adults in the United States.
Lipoic acid is a key part of the metabolic process that turns glucose into energy for the body's constant needs. It is also an antioxidant, which means that it can neutralize harmful chemicals that occur naturally. Unlike other antioxidants, lipoic acids can function in both water and fat. Moreau said it has always been studied as a compound that potentially slows the aging process.
He said that the therapies available to reduce these risk factors are not always effective for each individual. Doctors always recommend a nutritious diet and regular exercise as being the first therapy. If this is not successful, patients often turn toward prescription drugs.
Moreau said that he and his team of researchers want to work toward developing a successful strategy of dietary supplements.
The research includes using laboratory rats, which are often used as a starting point for further research involving humans. Moreau said that the supplements of lipoic acid successfully lowered triglyceride levels up to 60 percent in these lab rats.
Moreau's research was recently published in an academic and professional journal about biochemistry and biophysics.
Regis Moreau is an assistant professor and research assistant with the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State and has been conducting research on the potential of lipoic acids, dietary supplements that are capable of lowering levels of triglycerides.
Triglycerides are chief lipids consisting of fats and oils, and they function as the storage place of chemical energy in animals and plants. They are also, along with cholesterol levels and blood pressure, one of the key risk factors in cardiovascular-related diseases.
Moreau said that this risk factor of high blood triglyceride levels is very prominent and affects more than 30 percent of adults in the United States.
Lipoic acid is a key part of the metabolic process that turns glucose into energy for the body's constant needs. It is also an antioxidant, which means that it can neutralize harmful chemicals that occur naturally. Unlike other antioxidants, lipoic acids can function in both water and fat. Moreau said it has always been studied as a compound that potentially slows the aging process.
He said that the therapies available to reduce these risk factors are not always effective for each individual. Doctors always recommend a nutritious diet and regular exercise as being the first therapy. If this is not successful, patients often turn toward prescription drugs.
Moreau said that he and his team of researchers want to work toward developing a successful strategy of dietary supplements.
The research includes using laboratory rats, which are often used as a starting point for further research involving humans. Moreau said that the supplements of lipoic acid successfully lowered triglyceride levels up to 60 percent in these lab rats.
Moreau's research was recently published in an academic and professional journal about biochemistry and biophysics.
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