We have all heard about cholesterol in thousands of heath articles. Cholesterol effects heath of everybody around the world. Our blood cholesterol level has a lot to do with the possibilities of getting heart disease. High cholesterol is one of the biggest threats and the best known for heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of people in the United States. Each year, more than a million Americans have heart attacks, and about half of that number die from heart disease. In order to put our cholesterol level in the safe zone we first must understand what cholesterol is and how significant it is.
Cholesterol is waxy, fat-like substance that is found in the bloodstream and in all cells of the body. It is an important part of the body because our bodies need some cholesterol to build new cells and repair old cell membranes. Cholesterol is also used to insulate nerves in production of hormones. Human body makes some of it, and the rest comes from food we eat such as meats, fish, eggs, poultry, cheese and whole milk. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins. These packages are made of proteins and lipids. There are two kinds of lipoproteins which carry cholesterol throughout our bodies; they are low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). High density lipoprotein is known as good cholesterol. HDL takes the bad cholesterol out of blood by transporting it to the liver and keep it from building up in arteries. Low-density cholesterol is known as bad cholesterol because it can cause arteries to narrow or become blocked. That makes the flow of blood slowing or stopping to vital organs, especially the heart and brain. It also increase chances of getting cardiovasc...
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... of options for treating high cholesterol. In my conclusion, the first action we should take on high cholesterol is a change in diet and lifestyle. Weight controlling, regular exercise and diet low in cholesterol and animal fats are always usually all that is needed to bring down cholesterol level into safe zone. On the hand, if these changes don’t help, I will visit the doctor. The doctor can prescribe a cholesterol lowering drug such as lovastatin, niacin, and ezetimibe. Unfortunately, these mediation can cause liver damage; however, they are not an excuse to have unhealthy diet. Also, the lowing of cholesterol in blood can result in disrupting certain functions of our body, such as our behavior and mood. High cholesterol can be an extremely serious matter if it is not taken care of in the right way. It can lead to heart disease, so pay attention on what you eat.
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.
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
Atherosclerosis is the culprit behind coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke, which is the most common cause of death worldwide and in the United States10. Among the modifiable risk factors of CHD and stroke is the serum low density lipoprotein level (LDL)8, 11. Several randomized clinical trials have established that reducing the serum LDL level results in a reduction in the future risk of CHD and stroke in a linear relationship, in one study it was estimated that reducing the LDL by 1 % would reduce the risk by 1.7 %.1-4, 7, 9, 13
CHD is primarily due to atherosclerosis, which is the blockage of blood flow in the arteries due to the accumulation of fats, cholesterol, calcium and other substances found in the blood. Atherosclerosis takes place over many years, but when the blood flow becomes so limited due to the build up of plaque in the arteries, there becomes a serious problem. “When...
Cholesterol levels are also related to a person’s risk of heart disease. Many times cholesterol can be maintained by diet, while others may need to take medication to treat it. A study reported by the American Journal of Cardiology found that HDL (high-density lipoprotein) levels were the most important predictor of your heart health. The higher a woman’s HDL is the less likely she is to have heart problems.
Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up inside your arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood to your heart and other parts of your body. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body. Atherosclerosis can lead to serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, or even death. When atherosclerosis affects the arteries of the heart it is known as coronary artery disease. Some facts about atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease are more than 15,800,000
Cardiovascular disease, also known as heart disease, is a term used for diseases involving the heart, arteries, capillaries and veins. The problems associated with cardiovascular disease are often a result of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is caused by a buildup of plaque in artery walls, which disrupts blood flow through the arteries (American Heart Association, 2011). Cardiovascular disease causes a variety of conditions including heart attacks, ischemic stroke, heart failure, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias and heart valve problems (American Heart Association, 2011). These conditions lead to serious health related issues for individuals, including death. Every year there are around 600,000 individuals in the United States that die from cardiovascular disease, making heart disease the leading cause of death in both men and women (CDC, 2014). Although there are ways to decrease the risk of heart disease, the rate has been consistently increasing over the years, costing America billions of dollars in health care services annually. Contributing factors to the rise in heart disease includes the rate of obesity and a lack of physical activity (Dhaliwal, Welborn & Howat, 2013; Poirier, Giles, Bray, Hong, Pi-Sunyer & Eckel, 2006). These articles provide research that answers the question of how obesity and physical activity are linked to cardiovascular disease.
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 ...
Though small amounts of cholesterol are important for human life to occur, excess amounts can be detrimental. High cholesterol levels can lead to things like coronary heart disease, stroke, pe...
The World Health Organization defines coronary heart disease as a disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle where they are narrowing or blockage causes by cholesterol plagues deposit on the vessel wall resulting in abnormal thickening of the of the heart vessels (WHO, 2014). Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of 10 leading causes of death in the world (WHO, 2013). It remains the top major killers worldwide and continues to be a major burden in public health (Ferrari & Fox, 2009).
It does not mix with blood; it is carried in the blood by Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and by High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). The LDL (bad cholesterol) tends to build up and block the blood vessels carrying blood to the body. The HDL (good cholesterol) carries the cholesterol back to the liver for removal.
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.
When one or several lipids combine with proteins this forms lipoproteins, these transport fat throughout the bloodstream. High-density lipoproteins, also known as HDL, carry fat away from body cells, therefore preventing its growth in the artery walls. Low-Density Lipoproteins, also known as LDL, contain a high amount of cholesterol and seem to help the build up of fatty materials in the artery walls. The situation that you should go for would be high HDL and low LDL levels. Your goal should be to keep your overall cholesterol at below 200, with LDL lower than 40, and your HDL should be at around 160. This will lower the risk of heart disease and other related problems with cholesterol.