Wednesday, June 5, 2013

High Cholesterol: Causes, Symptoms and Prevention

What is cholesterol ?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that's found in the fats (lipids) in your blood. While your body needs cholesterol to continue building healthy cells, having high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. 
 

What may be the causes of cholesterol ?

Cholesterol is carried through your blood, attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. There may be of different types of cholesterol, based on what type of cholesterol the lipoprotein carries. They are:
-Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL, or "bad," cholesterol transports cholesterol particles throughout your body. LDL cholesterol builds up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow.
-Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). This type of lipoprotein contains the most triglycerides, a type of fat, attached to the proteins in your blood. VLDL cholesterol makes LDL cholesterol larger in size, causing your blood vessels to narrow. If you're taking cholesterol-lowering medication but have a high VLDL level, you may need additional medication to lower your triglycerides.
-High-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL, or "good," cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to your liver.

Sign and Symptoms of Cholesterol:

High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect high cholesterol. Ask your doctor for a baseline cholesterol test at age 20 and then have your cholesterol retested at least every five years. If your test results aren't within desirable ranges, your doctor may recommend more frequent measurements. Your doctor may also suggest you have more frequent tests if you have a family history of high cholesterol, heart disease or other risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or high blood pressure.

Test and Diagnosis:

A blood test to check cholesterol levels — called a lipid panel or lipid profile — typically reports:
-Total cholesterol
-LDL cholesterol
-HDL cholesterol
Triglycerides — a type of fat in the blood

For the most accurate measurements, don't eat or drink anything (other than water) for nine to 12 hours before the blood sample is taken.
Complication: High cholesterol can cause atherosclerosis, a dangerous accumulation of cholesterol and other deposits on the walls of your arteries. These deposits (plaques) can reduce blood flow through your arteries, which can cause complications, such as:

-Chest pain. If the arteries that supply your heart with blood (coronary arteries) are affected, you may have chest pain (angina) and other symptoms of coronary artery disease.

-Heart attack. If plaques tear or rupture, a blood clot may form at the plaque-rupture site — blocking the flow of blood or breaking free and plugging an artery downstream. If blood flow to part of your heart stops, you'll have a heart attack.

-Stroke. Similar to a heart attack, if blood flow to part of your brain is blocked by a blood clot, a stroke occurs.



Prevention and Control: Only heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol can help prevent you from having high cholesterol in the first place. To help prevent high cholesterol, you can:
-Lose extra pounds and maintain a healthy weight
-Quit smoking
-Eat a low-fat, low-salt diet that includes many fruits, vegetables and whole grains
-Exercise on most days of the week for at least 30 minutes
-Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all

4 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for this nice information. Hope so many people will get aware of this and useful as well. And please keep update like this.

    Cardiac Monitoring Services

    Holter Monitor Test

    Holter Monitoring Services

    ReplyDelete
  2. I was diagnosed as HEPATITIS B carrier in 2013 with fibrosis of the
    liver already present. I started on antiviral medications which
    reduced the viral load initially. After a couple of years the virus
    became resistant. I started on HEPATITIS B Herbal treatment from
    ULTIMATE LIFE CLINIC (www.ultimatelifeclinic.com) in March, 2020. Their
    treatment totally reversed the virus. I did another blood test after
    the 6 months long treatment and tested negative to the virus. Amazing
    treatment! This treatment is a breakthrough for all HBV carriers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful and Amazing information by your article. If the problem still exists, and you are not able to fix Quickbooks Errors. You can reach out to Quickbooks Error Support Phone Number at +1-888-485-0289.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Are you struggling to fix Quickbooks error C=1304? Quickbooks  is used to accept payment. It also helps you in managing payroll functions. But, you may encounter QuickBooks Error Code C=1304when you try to update Quickbooks. when you try to update Quickbooks.

    quickbooks enterprise error code h202

    ReplyDelete