A health concern that many Americans might not immediately consider is cholesterol. Millions of Americans suffer from Hyperlipidemia, which most people might know as “high cholesterol”. However, if you have high cholesterol, it does not have to be a life sentence. If you learn enough to have a good understanding of cholesterol and how it works, you may be able to prevent or reduce high cholesterol and its effects.
Cholesterol is a type of lipid. Lipids are oily or waxy organic molecules that are found in living things. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty lipid that is produced naturally by our livers. Regular levels of cholesterol are very important to the creation of vitamin D, some hormones, and cell membranes but high levels of cholesterol can be dangerous to our health.
1 What is High Cholesterol & How Do You Know If You Have It?
Cholesterol is unable to dissolve in water so it needs help to travel through our blood. This travel assistance comes in the form of lipoproteins, particles of fat and protein that are also produced by our livers. Lipoproteins help carry cholesterol and triglycerides (which is another type of lipid) through our bloodstreams.
These are the two major forms of lipoproteins:
- Low-density lipoprotein, known commonly as LDL cholesterol
- High-density lipoprotein, known commonly as HDL cholesterol
Due to its name, you might think that high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is what causes high cholesterol but actually, it is low-density lipoprotein (LDL) that can lead to high cholesterol levels.
Unfortunately, it is hard to pinpoint high cholesterol on our own. There usually are not detectable symptoms until a related emergency event occurs, such as a heart attack or stroke. For this reason, high cholesterol is commonly thought of as a silent problem.
Luckily, a simple blood test, known as a lipid panel. can easily reveal your cholesterol levels and whether you have high cholesterol or not. Typically doctors will perform a lipid panel once a patient turns 20, and then every 4 to 6 years after that.
Medical experts now know that high cholesterol can be hereditary so if your family history puts you at risk for it, your doctor may want to perform a lipid panel more regularly.
Learn about the difference between “good” and “bad” cholesterol.
hen most people hear the word “cholesterol,” they automatically associate it with negative health problems. But remember, there are two main types of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Surprisingly, of these two types of cholesterol, HDL is actually known as the “good cholesterol” because it helps our bodies get rid of excess cholesterol.
HDL, or “good cholesterol” gets rid of extra cholesterol by transporting it to our livers where it can be expelled. For this reason it is less likely to end up in our arteries, unlike LDL which transports cholesterol to our arteries. This is why LDL is thought of as “bad cholesterol.”
2 HDL & LDL: The Good & The Bad of Cholesterol
Too much LDL in our arteries can cause plaque to form, which is known as atherosclerosis.
This plaque buildup can cause blood clots to form.
Blood clots have the potential to block an artery in our hearts or brains which can lead to heart attack or stroke.
Plaque buildup in our arteries can also reduce blood and oxygen flow to the major organs in our bodies which can cause kidney disease or peripheral arterial disease, a circulatory problem that occurs when narrowed arteries reduce the blood flow to our limbs.
If your doctor performs a lipid panel, they will test your blood to determine your levels of both good and bad cholesterol. Generally, it is good to have higher levels of HDLs and lower levels of LDLs. Once you have a lipid panel, your doctor can interpret the results to let you know if you have healthy levels of cholesterol.
Find out the causes of high cholesterol on the following slide.
Our bodies naturally produce all of the LDL, or “bad cholesterol,” that we need. Certain habits, such as unhealthy eating or having a sedentary lifestyle can cause our bodies to produce extra LDL which can lead to high cholesterol. This can also be caused by inherited genes.
If high cholesterol runs in your family, then you may be at risk for family hypercholesterolemia (FH), this occurs when you inherit the genes for high levels of LDL from your parents or grandparents. If you have FH or other issues related to high cholesterol in your family, you should probably ask your doctor for a regular lipid panel.
3 What Causes High Cholesterol?
Aside from family history, there are other factors that can contribute to high cholesterol.
Here are some of the most common issues that can lead to having too much LDL.
- Being overweight or obese
- Eating unhealthy foods
- Not exercising
- Smoking tobacco
- Having Diabetes, kidney disease, or hypothyroidism
It is generally agreed that diet is an important factor of cholesterol.
If you are hoping to maintain healthy cholesterol levels then you may want to consider following a low cholesterol diet by eliminating or at least reducing your intake of high cholesterol foods, including red meat, processed foods, fried foods, baked goods, and trans fats.
It is important to remember that the symptoms of high cholesterol often do not show up until a heart attack or stroke occurs. For this reason, it is a good idea to ask your doctor about testing your cholesterol levels.
Find out what you can do to treat high cholesterol.
We have no control over our family history and the medical conditions that we inherit but we can make lifestyle changes that can potentially reduce or prevent high cholesterol. Eliminating unhealthy foods from your diet and adding healthy ones to your eating routines can help treat high cholesterol. Physical activity can also help.
Here are some of the things you can try to treat or lower your risk of high cholesterol. The first two have to do with your diet. First, Eat a low fat, high fiber diet that contains foods that lower cholesterol. Also, Avoid binge drinking alcohol.
4 How To Treat High Cholesterol
Quit smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Exercise regularly.
Some people believe that specific herbal supplements can also help lower cholesterols. If you are interested in this, then you may want to do further research on the following supplements:
- Garlic
- Psyllium
- Plant Sterol
- Hawthorn
- Red yeast rice
- Flaxseed
If you have high cholesterol your doctor may want to prescribe you medication for your condition. The most common medicines for high cholesterol are called statins.
Statins decrease the levels of cholesterol in your blood by blocking your liver from producing more cholesterol. They do this by preventing your body from producing HMG-CoA reductase, the enzyme that your liver needs to make cholesterol. Statins can also help your body absorb cholesterol that has already built up in your arteries.
Here are some common statins:
- Zocor / simvastatin
- Crestor / rosuvastatin
- Lescol / fluvastatin
- Lipitor / atorvastatin
Having high cholesterol can seem daunting but together, you and your doctor can figure out how to reduce your cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for heart attacks, strokes, and the other negative effects that high cholesterol can cause.
