Cholesterol And Heart Disease The Things You Should Know
New cells, insulated nerves, and produced hormones are what your body builds with the help of cholesterol. All the cholesterol the body needs is made by the liver. Cholesterol enters your body from food, like animal based foods like milk, eggs and meat. A major risk factor for heart disease is too much cholesterol.
A form of heart disease, atherosclerosis, is caused when too much cholesterol is in the blood which builds up in the walls of your arteries. The arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked. Your heart gets oxygen from the blood. When you do not get enough blood and oxygen to your heart, it might cause chest pains. A heart attack can happen when the blood supply to a part of your heart is completely cut off by a blockage.
Low density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) and high density lipoprotein (HDL or “good” cholesterol) are two forms of cholesterol that most Americans are familiar with. This is the form the cholesterol travels in the blood. LDLs have little protein and high levels of cholesterol and HDL has a lot of protein and very little cholesterol.
The main source of artery clogging plaque is LDL. The HDL works to clear cholesterol from the blood.
Triglycerides are another fat in the bloodstream. Research is now showing that a high level of triglycerides is also linked to heart disease.
There are no symptoms of high cholesterol which is why so many people are unaware that their cholesterol levels are too high. This is why it is important to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessons the chance of heart disease developing. The chance of a heart attack is reduced even if you have it already.
It is recommended that everyone over the age of twenty get their cholesterol levels measured at least every five years. Lipoprotein profile is the blood test that is performed.
For additional info or queries about Cholesterol or Heart Disease please forward any messages to Dr. Sam Robbins
