Cholesterol helps your body build new cells, insulate nerves, and produce hormones. Normally, the liver makes all the cholesterol the body needs. But cholesterol also enters your body from food, such as animal-based foods like milk, eggs, and meat. Too much cholesterol in your body is a major risk factor for heart disease.
Atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease, is caused by too much cholesterol in your 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. The heart gets oxygen from the blood. If you do not get enough blood and oxygen to reach your heart, you might suffer chest pains. When the blood supply to a part of your heart is completely cut off by a blockage, a heart attack takes place.
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.
The bloodstream has other fat called triglycerides. Research has shown that high levels of triglycerides are connected to heart disease.
People are unaware that their cholesterol levels are too high because there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. This makes it vital to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering the cholesterol level that are too high reduces the chance of heart disease, even if you already have heart disease.
Some recommend that everyone over the age of 20 should get their cholesterol levels measured at least once every 5 years. The test that is performed is a blood test called a lipoprotein profile. - 32002
Atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease, is caused by too much cholesterol in your 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. The heart gets oxygen from the blood. If you do not get enough blood and oxygen to reach your heart, you might suffer chest pains. When the blood supply to a part of your heart is completely cut off by a blockage, a heart attack takes place.
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.
The bloodstream has other fat called triglycerides. Research has shown that high levels of triglycerides are connected to heart disease.
People are unaware that their cholesterol levels are too high because there are no symptoms of high cholesterol. This makes it vital to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering the cholesterol level that are too high reduces the chance of heart disease, even if you already have heart disease.
Some recommend that everyone over the age of 20 should get their cholesterol levels measured at least once every 5 years. The test that is performed is a blood test called a lipoprotein profile. - 32002
About the Author:
For more information or questions in regards to Cholesterol or Heart Disease please send all correspondence to Dr. Sam Robbins
