Almost everybody knows the negative effects bad cholesterol has on the body. Bad cholesterol has to do with low-density lipoprotein’s molecular transport deposits that thicken in the walls of the arteries hindering the flawless passage of blood affecting the atherogenic status of the arterial walls. But not everybody fully appreciates the important role cholesterol plays in the body. This non-soluble, waxy substance is essential to aid in the building of membranes, the manufacture of bile, strengthening of cell walls and nerve sheaths, and in the production of hormones.
However, exposing the body to high levels of cholesterol results in hypertensions and other cardiovascular disorders. High levels of cholesterol can even lead to atherosclerosis, a disposition of fatty substances, and fibrosis of the inner arteries.
The best ways to reduce high levels of cholesterol are by practicing good eating habits accompanied by regular exercise. Indulging in an unhealthy lifestyle or over indulgence when eating meals increases your risk for higher cholesterol levels.
Here are some tips to follow...
Hypercholesterolemia is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance and is a major class of lipid, so it gets into the blood by lipoproteins [1]. A high level of lipoproteins is unhealthy. A high level can result in an elevated risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease [2]. The high levels of lipoproteins are often influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors such as obesity or dieting habits [2]. High cholesterol can be caused by mutations in the following genes: APOB, LDLR, LDLRAP1, and PCSK9 [3]. Mutations in the LDLR gene are responsible for causing familial hypercholesterolemia, which is the most commonly seen form of inherited high cholesterol [3]. The LDLR gene contains instructions for making LDL receptors or low-density lipoprotein receptors. LDL receptors play critical roles in regulating levels of cholesterol in the blood by removing low-density lipoproteins from the bloodstream. Mutations in the LDLR gene can make the amount of LDL receptors produced less than normal or affect their job of removing the low-density lipoproteins in the blood [4]. People who have these mutations will have higher levels of cholesterol. There are many ways that the environment can affect the levels of cholesterol in the blood. Reducing the amount of dietary fat you consume lowers the total amount of cholesterol in the blood [5]. Sucrose and fructose can raise the amount of LDL in the blood. Reducing fatty foods will however lower the amount of LDL [5]. Having a healthy body and maintaining physical exercise plays a key role in keeping your cholesterol at a healthy level. If you are overweight or obese you can lower your cholesterol levels by simply losing ...
CAD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the worldwide. The prevalence of biological and metabolic risk factors were also found to be high in development of coronary artery disease. Patients with hypercholesterolemia are at increased risk to experience cardiovascular events and to die from vascular disease [2]. .Statins, among the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide, are cholesterol let downing agents used to manage cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases and to treat hypercholesterolemia. Statin’s therapy ...
Six moths ago I scheduled a physical and blood work, a month later I was diagnosed with high cholesterol. My total cholesterol levels were at 250, with and LDL of 150, which puts me at a higher risk of cardiovascular illness. I was given the option of changing my eating habits with a combination of exercise to manage and lower my cholesterol levels, thus avoiding the need for medication. The dr. was very supportive, he had many helpful suggestions and showed me several ways in which I could lower my cholesterol by making simple food choices. After a long discussion I decided this was the way to go, I hate taking medication. When I reviewed the analysis report and saw that my cholesterol continues to be above the recommended range I let out a huge sigh, it took a few seconds to compose myself before I continued to look over it. This whole time I thought I had maintained my cholesterol under control, the analysis report proved that I was wrong. It is important that I make changes on how I eat. High cholesterol is indicative of cardiovascular illnesses that possibly result in serious chronic diseases. Diseases that are linked to high cholesterol are Coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. The main risk from cholesterol is heart attacks. If the cholesterol remains high, it can build up overtime in the walls of the arteries forming a build up known as plaque. This plaque will cause the arteries
The risk of CVDs is usually predicated by a blood test that measures the level of lipoprotein because atherosclerosis is caused by high triglyceride levels, increases in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, and decreases in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (5). The majority of HDL consists of Apolipoprotein A-1 (ApoA-1) protein, where it exists mostly in the lipid-bound form in human plasma. ApoA-1 has anti-atherogenic properties (6), where it helps protect against the formation of abnormal fatty deposit within the walls of arteries. It has a specific role in lipid metabolism where it removes cholesterol from issues to the liver for excretion using a process called reverse cholesterol transport (7). Both ApoA-1
Atherosclerosis can be treated with medicine, surgeries or by changing your lifestyle for example change of diet. Also this can be treated naturally by incrementing you physical exercise, in the type of food you eat, the amounts you eat and the ways you have to administrate your time to try not to stress too
In the human body, high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream have been linked to atherosclerosis. It has also been connected to the risk of heart disease and stroke. However, the relative negative impact of raised levels of triglycerides compared to that of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol ratios is still unknown. The risk can be mostly accounted for by a strong reverse relationship between triglyceride level and the bad cholesterol level. (A Life Science Lexicon)
Hyperlipidemia or increased cholesterol builds up causing narrowing in the arteries, which reduces oxygen rich blood flow to the heart and tissues, also increasing the risk for myocardial infarction. Obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and hyperlipidemia, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis, and therefore increasing
My DRI of cholesterol was maxed at 300mg and my intake was 267mg. Still relatively high so could start consuming Oatmeal for breakfast in which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Also, I...
With medication and lifestyle changes, plaques may slow or stop growing. They may even shrink slightly with aggressive treatment. Reducing the lifestyle risk factors that lead to atherosclerosis will slow or stop the process. That means a healthy diet, exercise, and no smoking. These lifestyle changes won't remove blockages, but they’re proven to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Taking drugs for high cholesterol and high blood pressure will slow and perhaps even halt the progression of atherosclerosis, as well as lower your risk of heart attacks and stroke (3). Atherosclerosis starts early. In autopsies of young American soldiers killed in action in the Korean and Vietnam wars, half to three-quarters had early forms of atherosclerosis. Even today, a large number of asymptomatic young people have evidence of atherosclerosis. A 2001 study of 262 apparently healthy people's hearts may might surprise you. 52% had some atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis was present in 85% of those older than 50.17% of teenagers had atherosclerosis. No one had symptoms, and very few had severe narrowing’s in any arteries. This was very early disease, detectable only by special tests. If you are 40 and generally healthy, you have about a 50% chance of developing serious atherosclerosis in your lifetime. The risk goes up as you get older. The majority of adults
LDL or bad cholesterol comes from food that is a high source of cholesterol and/or saturated fats. Plaque forms when bad or LDL cholesterol builds up in your bloodstream and attaches to the arterial wall, as more LDL builds up the plaque becomes larger, this can become a major problem for your cardiovascular system. Because plaque is a substance that has rough edges, it reduces the elastic nature of the artery which means your heart will have to work double-time to pump the necessary blood to all your limbs, that will mean your limbs won’t get the amount of oxygen that they require to function properly. Plaque can also narrow the area blood has to pass through, this means your heart has to work overtime and overall capacity of your cardiovascular system is lowered. When the LDL cholesterol embeds itself in the wall of the artery it than damages the artery then blood pressure expands it which causes an aneurysm. When an aneurysm is too weak there is a high possibility of it bursting, when that happens it leaves the cells in and around that area without oxygen. If that artery is connected to a major vital organ the person will most likely die. When the blood flow is slowed it shows a greater risk for blood clots and although blood clots are natural and important to healing broken blood vessels, if blood clots gather inside the blood vessel this proves to be a serious health risk. The clots have the possibility to get stuck and completely cut off the blood flow to cells, leaving them without oxygen and causing them to die. If a clot gets inside a blood vessel connected to a major organ this could cause the person to die. The heart is fed by the coronary artery, if plaque or a blood clot blocks off blood flow to the heart, the heart ...
There is no one way, or miracle cure, to control these factors, but common sense, as well as modern medicine, tells us how. Simply stop smoking, eat foods lower in cholesterol, lower your blood pressure with a healthy diet and a lower salt intake (this will also control obesity), and use daily exercise routines to help prevent disease.However, as easy as it is to prevent disease using these simple techniques, it is also recommended to visit a doctor regularly to detect disease early in its preclinic...
Patients with familial Hypercholesterolemia should exercise and eat healthy low-fat diet, follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet. Take only 25%-35% of daily calories from fat. Cholesterol intake should be limited to less than 200 mg per day. Patient should consume 10 to 20 grams of soluble fiber a day. Also, certain medications can be prescribed by the physician which include: Statins, Bile-acid-binding resins as cholestyramine, Cholesterol absorption inhibitors like Zetia. Diet and exercise are the best initial treatment for children age 2 and older who have high cholesterol.
Although atherosclerosis affects millions of people around the world, there are many ways to prevent and treat it once it has developed. Simple life style changes can greatly reduce the inflammation and damage to the endothelial wall of the artery. It is very important that people who have high blood pressure or diabetes get regular checkups; if atherosclerosis goes untreated, the adverse effects, such as stroke or myocardial infarction can be deadly.
The tendency to build up high cholesterol may run in families, but extremely high levels are usually the result of a poor diet high in saturated fats and calories, along with little or no exercise. In some cases, high levels of cholesterol may be associated with undiagnosed medical symptoms such as diabetes or low thyroid function. According to the American Heart Association, there would eventually be a 50 percent lower rate of heart disease if Americans would lower their blood cholesterol levels by 25 percent. These statements find confirmation in a 1984 report done by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institution on the results of a 10 year study. It showed that for every 1 percent of lowered cholesterol, the chances of a heart attack are lowered by 2 percent.
It is the precursor for the biosynthesis of steroid hormones and bile acid. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for the heart disease and stroke. Some sources of dietary cholesterol are egg yolks, meat, and butter. The recommended intake of fats should be within the range of 20 to 35 percent of total calories.