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.
When you have high cholesterol, you may develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Your heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke.
High cholesterol can be inherited, but it's often the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, and thus preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can go a long way toward reducing high cholesterol.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect high cholesterol.
Ask your doctor if you should have a cholesterol test. Recommendations for the age of first screening vary. Retesting is usually performed 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.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Cholesterol is carried through your blood, attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. You may have heard of different types of cholesterol, based on what type of cholesterol the lipoprotein carries. They are:
Factors within your control â such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet â contribute to high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. Factors beyond your control may play a role, too. For example, your genetic makeup may keep cells from removing LDL cholesterol from your blood efficiently or cause your liver to produce too much cholesterol.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
A blood test to check cholesterol levels â called a lipid panel or lipid profile â typically reports:
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.
In the United States, cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. In Canada and many European countries, cholesterol levels are measured in millimoles per liter (mmol/L). To interpret your test results, use these general guidelines.
Total cholesterol (U.S. and some other countries) | Total cholesterol* (Canada and most of Europe) | |
---|---|---|
Below 200 mg/dL | Below 5.2 mmol/L | Desirable |
200-239 mg/dL | 5.2-6.2 mmol/L | Borderline high |
240 mg/dL and above | Above 6.2 mmol/L | High |
LDL cholesterol (U.S. and some other countries) | LDL cholesterol* (Canada and most of Europe) | |
---|---|---|
Below 70 mg/dL | Below 1.8 mmol/L | Best for people who have heart disease or diabetes. |
Below 100 mg/dL | Below 2.6 mmol/L | Optimal for people at risk of heart disease. |
100-129 mg/dL | 2.6-3.3 mmol/L | Near optimal if there is no heart disease. High if there is heart disease. |
130-159 mg/dL | 3.4-4.1 mmol/L | Borderline high if there is no heart disease. High if there is heart disease. |
160-189 mg/dL | 4.1-4.9 mmol/L | High if there is no heart disease. Very high if there is heart disease. |
190 mg/dL and above | Above 4.9 mmol/L | Very high |
HDL cholesterol (U.S. and some other countries) | HDL cholesterol* (Canada and most of Europe) | |
---|---|---|
Below 40 mg/dL (men) Below 50 mg/dL (women) |
Below 1 mmol/L (men) Below 1.3 mmol/L (women) |
Poor |
50-59 mg/dL | 1.3-1.5 mmol/L | Better |
60 mg/dL and above | Above 1.5 mmol/L | Best |
Triglycerides (U.S. and some other countries) | Triglycerides* (Canada and most of Europe) | ||
---|---|---|---|
*Canadian and European guidelines differ slightly from U.S. guidelines. These conversions are based on U.S. guidelines. | |||
Below 150 mg/dL | Below 1.7 mmol/L | Desirable | |
150-199 mg/dL | 1.7-2.2 mmol/L | Borderline high | |
200-499 mg/dL | 2.3-5.6 mmol/L | High | |
500 mg/dL and above | Above 5.6 mmol/L | Very high |
For most children, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends one cholesterol screening test between the ages of 9 and 11, and another cholesterol screening test between the ages of 17 and 21.
Cholesterol testing is usually avoided between the ages of 12 and 16 because false-negative results are more likely within this age group.
If your child has a family history of early-onset heart disease or a personal history of obesity or diabetes, your doctor may recommend earlier or more frequent cholesterol testing.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
The same 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:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Few natural products have been proven to reduce cholesterol, but some might be helpful. With your doctor's OK, consider these cholesterol-lowering supplements and products:
Some red yeast rice products contain monacolin K, which is chemically identical to the prescription drug lovastatin. The FDA has prohibited the sale of these products, since there's no way to determine the quantity or quality of the active ingredient.
If you choose to take cholesterol-lowering supplements, remember the importance of a healthy lifestyle. If your doctor prescribes medication to reduce your cholesterol, take it as directed. Make sure your doctor knows which supplements you're taking as well.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Lifestyle changes are essential to improve your cholesterol level. To bring your numbers down, lose excess weight, eat healthy foods and increase your physical activity. If you smoke, quit.
What you eat has a direct impact on your cholesterol level.
Excess weight contributes to high cholesterol. Losing even 5 to 10 pounds can help lower total cholesterol levels. Start by taking an honest look at your eating habits and daily routine. Consider your challenges to weight loss â and ways to overcome them. Set long-term, sustainable goals.
Regular exercise can help improve your cholesterol levels. With your doctor's OK, work up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. Take a brisk daily walk. Ride your bike. Swim laps. To maintain your motivation, keep it fun. Find an exercise buddy or join an exercise group. And you don't need to get all 30 to 60 minutes in one exercise session. If you can squeeze in three to six 10-minute intervals of exercise, you'll still get some benefits. If you are not doing any exercise at all right now, try even 15 minutes of exercise a day several days of the week. Some exercise is much better than no exercise.
If you smoke, stop. Cigarette smoking increases your risk of heart disease because it damages your blood vessels and speeds up the accumulation of plaque within arteries.
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
Factors that may increase your risk of high cholesterol include:
Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com
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