According to Heart.org Cholesterol is a waxy substance that comes from two sources: from our body and food. body, and especially our liver, makes all the cholesterol we need and circulates it through the blood. But cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as meat, poultry and full-fat dairy products. Our liver produces more cholesterol when we eat a diet high in saturated and trans fats.
There two types of Cholesterol
1. High Cholesterol
2. Low Cholesterol
High cholesterol puts patients at risk of developing heart disease and cardiovascular disease, but few people know what it means to have a healthy cholesterol.
While there are ways to reduce cholesterol, such as losing weight, reducing the amount of salt in our diet and stopping drinking and smoking, many people don’t understand what the problem actually is.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. It's mainly made by the liver, but can also be found in some foods.
Nat Hawes, author of Nature’s cures, said: “Cholesterol is vital to life and is found in all cell membranes. It is necessary for the production of bile acids, steroid hormones and vitamin D.”
As earlier mentioned cholesterol are two types - HDL cholesterol which is referred to as good cholesterol where high levels are better, and LDL cholesterol, which can lead to a disease of the arteries.
High levels of LDL cholesterol can increase the risk not only of heart disease but heart attack, stroke, stroke, TIAs or ‘mini strokes’ and peripheral arterial disease.
Both the brain and heart require cholesterol to function normally.
The amount of cholesterol - both HDL and LDL cholesterol - can be measured with a blood test, which is usually recommend by a GP.
NHS Choices said people might be asked not to eat for ten hours before the test to make sure all food is completely digested.
What do the readings mean?
Blood cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, often shortened to mmol/L.
As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults or 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk.
However LDL levels should be 3mmol/L or less for healthy adults or 2mmol/L or less for those at high risk.
An ideal level of HDL is above 1mmol/L. A lower level of HDL can increase risk of heart disease.
NHS choices said: “Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL may also be calculated.”
“This is your total cholesterol level divided by your HDL level. Generally, this ratio should be below four, as a higher ratio increases your risk of heart disease.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that adults with a total cholesterol level of above 7.5mmol/l before treatment should be assessed for familial hypercholesterolaemia - inherited high cholesterol.
People diagnosed with high cholesterol are advised to make changes to their diet and increase the amount of exercise they do.
However many people are prescribed statins.
The medication can help lower the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the blood.
The British Heart Foundation said: “Statins are the most commonly prescribed medicines in the UK. They work to lower the level of cholesterol in your blood.”
0 comments: