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Study shows connection between cholesterol, inflammation and insulin resistance

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

A new study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that stimulating the activity of a certain enzyme may lower cholesterol levels, limit inflammation and help improve the insulin test results of individuals with diabetes.

Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University found that the enzyme known as CEH plays an important role in regulating cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is known to contribute to inflammation, which makes body tissue of the body more resistant to the effects of insulin. This is what happens in a person with type 2 diabetes.

In laboratory testing on mice, the researchers showed that when this enzyme is stimulated, mice that were fed a high-fat diet and initially had elevated cholesterol levels became more sensitive to the effects of insulin.

"These studies provide the first evidence that targeting fat tissue inflammation as well as elimination of cholesterol from the body may be emerging new strategies to prevent diabetes," Shobha Ghosh, who led the study.

She added that most current treatments for type 2 diabetes do not focus on controlling cholesterol or reducing inflammation levels, and that this may be a drawback of these therapies.