What You Don't Know About Cholesterol Can Hurt You

The cholesterol is a waxy substance that is produced by the body. The body also attracts cholesterol from high fat foods. You also fall prey to cholesterol owing to the family history of heart attack or cholesterol. The eating habit of a person decides his cholesterol level in his body. Isn't it right time to get enlightened about the cholesterol? Read through.

This article covers

• What Is Cholesterol?
• High Cholesterol Symptoms
• What Causes High Cholesterol?
• Factors That Contribute To High Cholesterol

Cholesterol- related medical conditions represent a major health hazard in today’s world. Major medical advances in the treatment for high cholesterol however, have made it possible to effectively diagnose the symptoms of high cholesterol, the causes of high cholesterol, the effects of high cholesterol, and to identify quality cholesterol treatment. Research into high cholesterol causes and high cholesterol treatments, into high cholesterol treatment risks and cholesterol lowering treatments, has helped those patients around the world, who suffer from this ailment.

What Is Cholesterol?

• Cholesterol is a waxy substance, soft and fat-like, present in our bloodstream, and in all of our body’s cells.
• Having normal levels of cholesterol is vital to a healthy body, as it is used in the production of some hormones and cell membranes, apart from serving other important bodily functions. But too high levels of cholesterol in the blood stream- the medical term is Hypercholesterolemia- can lead to a stroke or to coronary heart disease , which would result in a heart attack .

Cholesterol cannot dissolve in the blood. Special carriers called lipoproteins transport cholesterol to and from the body’s cells.There are two kinds of lipoproteins:

• Low Density Lipoprotein, or LDL, is called the “bad” cholesterol. Too much of it can lead to clogging of the arteries, increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack. It can also lead to hardening of the arteries, resulting in a medical condition called atherosclerosis
• High Density Lipoprotein or HDL, which is the “good” cholesterol. The human body manufactures the HDL cholesterol for its protection. Enhanced levels of HDL cholesterol minimize risk of heart attack, carrying the cholesterol away from the arteries.

Triglycerides

Calories that are eaten but not used up immediately are converted into triglycerides. Though most triglycerides are found stored in fat tissue, low levels of it are also carried in the blood as very low density lipoproteins(VLDL). High LDL along with a raised level of blood triglycerides can greatly increase the risk of heart disease.

High Cholesterol Symptoms

The symptoms of high cholesterol would vary on an individual basis from patient to patient. Only the patient’s doctor would be able to accurately diagnose the symptoms and identify as to whether they are High Cholesterol symptoms.

Typically high cholesterol has no noticeable symptoms, and is usually identified by routine blood tests. Levels of blood cholesterol begin to go up in both men and women, at around age 20. Women, before the onset of menopause, have cholesterol levels which are lower than that of men of around the same age. After menopause, the woman’s LDL cholesterol levels begin to rise, and consequently so does her risk for coronary heart disease. Heart disease, for both men and women, is the major killer and number one cause of death. Cholesterol lowering treatment is advisable for everyone, whether young or old, or middle aged, and for people with or without coronary heart disease. Other complications arising from high levels of cholesterol in the blood include:

• Atherosclerosis
• Heart disease
• Coronary heart disease: The major risk associated with high cholesterol levels is CHD or Coronary Heart Disease. This condition occurs when the blood vessels become narrowed with plaques or fatty deposits- which high cholesterol contributes to. These narrowed blood vessels, as a result, reduce the flow of blood to the heart, resulting in chest pain or Angina. If the blood vessel is blocked completely, a heart attack could occur.
• Angina
• Heart Attack
• Ruptured plaques
• Blood clots

What Causes High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is made in two ways- the body makes some, and the rest comes from the animal products – meats, fish, poultry, whole milk, cheese, butter and eggs- that we eat. Foods full of saturated fats also cause the body to manufacture more cholesterol. The causes of high triglycerides and cholesterol include:

• Age
• A High - fat diet
• Obesity
• Being overweight
• A Family history of high cholesterol
• Stress
• Diabetes
• Smoking( In case where you smoke daily or live/work with people who smoke constantly)
• High Blood pressure :In cases where the blood pressure reads 140/90 mmHg or higher on two or more occasions

With regard to high cholesterol treatment risks, those children coming from high risk families, where

• either parent has high blood cholesterol levels(240 mg/dl or above) or
• wherein the parent or grandparent has had heart disease at any early age(55 years or younger)

should test their cholesterol levels. If it is found to be high, it ought to be lowered under medical supervision, with diet being given special attention, in order to reduce the risk of developing heart disease as an adult. For children who do not come from high risk families, the ideal way to reduce risk of adult heart disease and to avoid the effects of high cholesterol is to follow and maintain a low cholesterol eating pattern. In fact all adults and children should adopt healthy eating habits, and good physical exercise, as an effective means of cholesterol treatment to reduce the risks of coronary heart disease. Continue to : Factors That Contribute To High Cholesterol

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