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HowToPreventHeartDisease.com |
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Keeping Cholesterol In Check For Heart Disease Prevention Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in all cells of the body. It is mainly made by the body. The liver produces 75 percent of the cholesterol that circulates in the blood, and the remaining 25 percent comes from food like meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. There are 2 types of cholesterol, namely the good (high-density lipoproteins, HDL) and the bad (low-density lipoproteins, LDL). HDL carries cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver that removes it from the body. At healthy levels, cholesterol plays an important role in helping cells do their jobs, for instance, making hormones, Vitamin-D, and substances that help the body digest foods. Excessive amount of cholesterol, especially the LDL, in the bloodstream can raise the risk of developing not only heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke but also Alzheimer's disease. High levels of LDL can form plaque in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the body. Sometimes, plaque can break open and cause blood clots. If a clot blocks an artery that feeds the brain, it can cause a stroke, and a heart attack can occur if the clot blocks an artery that feeds the heart. On the other hand, one should have high amount of HDL to lower the risk of getting heart disease and stroke. People who are older than 20 should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every 4 to 6 years by a simple blood test known as a fasting lipoprotein profile. The person who takes the test must avoid eating for 9 to 12 hours. The test will show the levels of LDL, HDL, triglycerides as well as the total cholesterol. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood, and it is required by the body for energy. High levels of triglycerides might, however, raise the risk of heart disease and could be a sign of metabolic syndrome that will also increase the risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
LDL cholesterol levels below100 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter) is considered optimal while 190 mg/dl or more is very high. HDL Cholesterol levels of 60 mg/dL or more are good, and less than 40 mg/dL are very bad. Triglycerides level less than 150 is normal and above 200 is high. Total cholesterol level is desirable if it is less than 200 mg/dL, and high if it is 240 mg/dL and above. Sum of the HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels is the total cholesterol level. But total cholesterol result by itself might not be sufficient to know whether one has healthy cholesterol levels. For instance, one can have super low HDL and high LDL and still get a total cholesterol reading as desirable. Another important reading is cholesterol ratio, which is obtained by dividing the total cholesterol by HDL cholesterol. For example, a total cholesterol of 200 divided by an HDL reading of 50 equals a cholesterol ratio of 4 to 1. This ratio should be kept at 4:1 or lower. The smaller the ratio, the better it is but doctors still need to look at total cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels to determine treatment methods. To keep one’s cholesterol in check, he or she should adopt healthy eating habits and increase physical activities, though people with high cholesterol running in their family might also need medications like statins to help them control their cholesterol levels. For people who are not very active, starting an aerobic exercise program can help raise the good cholesterol by 5 percent in the first 2 months. Regular exercises like running, swimming or walking briskly do lower bad cholesterol, too. One should aim for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Daily cholesterol limits are 300 mg for healthy people and 200 mg for those at higher risk. One egg has 186 mg of cholesterol. Eating more fiber and unsaturated fats but avoiding saturated fats and trans fats can help lower LDL cholesterol. Choosing low-carbohydrate diet, quitting smoking can boost HDL while losing weight can lower LDL. Certain supplements such as fenugreek seeds and garlic can also help improve cholesterol.
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