High Cholesterol

Usually there are no symptoms of high risk cholesterol but the dangers associated with it are very real and can even prove to be fatal.

Majority of people don’t take the risks of high cholesterol seriously enough. One in five people have high cholesterol. In America 50 percent of the population have cholesterol levels above the recommended levels.

Cholesterol is common but this does not reduce its risks to you. Cholesterol adds to the risk of cardiovascular disease which in turn can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

According to the estimates of The World Health Organization 20 percent of all strokes and over 50 percent of the heart attacks can be traced back to high cholesterol.

Often people find it tough to remember the details. People often have a vague and unclear estimate about whether their cholesterol lies in the good or bad range but often forget the exact number. So it is good to review the basics of cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a fat like substance which is circulating in your blood stream. Some of it comes from the goods you consume. But most of it is actually produced in your own body specifically in the liver. Cholesterol has some advantages and good uses. It is required to make some hormones and it is also important for the function of the cells. But like all things excess of this can lead to problems.

Cholesterol can be categorized into several different forms but doctors focus on LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.

LDL is the bad cholesterol. (You can link the “L” to lousy so you don’t forget.) LDL cholesterol can clog your arteries and thus increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. One should aim for a level less then 100mg/dl. However people who already have heart disease may need to set their aims for under 70mg/dl

HLD is the good cholesterol. (H for healthy this way you won’t forget it). What this category of cholesterol does it that it attaches itself to the bad cholesterol and drags it to the liver from where it is filtered out of your body. So in short HDL helps to keep in check and reduce your LDL that is the bad cholesterol in your system. The aim should be 60mg/dlr or higher where this cholesterol is concerned.

Last come the Triglycerides. These are not cholesterol but they are another type of fat present in your blood. Just like bad cholesterol having high levels of these increases the risk of cardiovascular problems. One should aim for a level of less then 150mg/dl.

Cholesterol is present in everyone’s blood stream. But if the levels of LDL are too high then it is a problem. For the excess can accumulate on the wall of the arteries. This build up of cholesterol there and other substances is known as plaque. Plaque can narrow the arteries, imagine a clogged drain. This can also lead to   arteriosclerosis or the arteries become harder which turns tissue which normally flexible much weaker.