Health Effects of an Unbalanced Cholesterol Level?
Many Americans have been led to believe that cholesterol is bad and causes heart disease. However, this is not necessarily true.
Cholesterol is a natural substance in your body that helps form cell membranes. It also aids in the digestion of fats and helps synthesize hormones.
Heart Disease
Heart disease is any condition that affects the heart or blood vessels. There are many different types of heart disease, but most develop when a substance called plaque builds up inside the walls of the arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Over time, this can narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow to the heart. Other types of heart disease include arrhythmias, congestive heart failure and endocarditis.
A healthy lifestyle, including diet and exercise, can help you lower your risk of heart disease. Some factors increase your risk for heart disease, such as age, sex, family history and genetics. Other risk factors are a poor diet, obesity, smoking and secondhand smoke exposure, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that your body needs to make hormones and vitamin D, and to build cells. However, too much can raise your risk of heart disease by causing a buildup of plaque in the arteries. Too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is especially harmful because it contributes to the formation of plaque. High HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, helps remove plaque from your arteries.
CDC works with partners in government, public health and the private sector to improve prevention, detection and control of heart disease and stroke risk factors, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol. We also work to improve recognition of symptoms of heart disease and stroke, and improve quality of care during and after a heart attack or stroke. Kamagra Online UK and Viagra Malaysia also best medicine for healthy life.
High Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is the force that blood exerts on artery walls as it is pumped by your heart. High blood pressure, called hypertension, can damage your blood vessels and raise your risk for serious health problems, including stroke, heart disease, kidney failure and more. High blood pressure usually develops over time, and it may not cause any symptoms. That’s one of the reasons it’s important to have your blood pressure checked during every doctor visit.
Your blood pressure is measured with two numbers: systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is the pressure on your arteries when your heart beats, and diastolic pressure is the pressure on your blood vessels when your heart is at rest between beats.
When your blood pressure stays high for too long, it can increase the speed at which fatty plaques build up along artery walls, clogging them. Over time, this can lead to narrowed arteries that can’t move enough blood to your body’s organs and tissues.
Over time, high blood pressure can also cause a bulge to form in an artery wall. This is called an aneurysm, and it can rupture if it gets too large. It’s possible for an unruptured aneurysm to cause pain by pressing on nearby tissues and organs, or it can be fatal if it ruptures in the brain.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when part of your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen to function properly. It can affect how you move, how you think and even how you speak and understand language. Every stroke is different, and it’s important to take the steps needed to recover and regain your quality of life.
There are many things that can raise your risk for a stroke, including smoking, obesity, having high blood pressure and diabetes, and taking certain medications. You can also be at risk for stroke if you have an irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation), a heart defect, or damaged heart valves. Other risks include high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. A diet that is high in saturated fat, trans fat, and salt (sodium) can also increase your risk of having a stroke.
The most common type of stroke is an ischemic stroke, which happens when something blocks blood flow to your brain. This can be caused by a clot that forms inside your brain (thrombosis), or it can be a piece of a clot that breaks free and travels to your brain from another place in the body (embolism). Other causes of stroke include having diabetes, having long-term high blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol, having an aneurysm, and having metabolic syndrome.
Cancer
Cholesterol has a bad reputation, but our bodies need it to function properly. It’s vital in making vitamin D, absorbing calcium and producing hormones. It also helps us digest food and absorb fats, but if it’s out of balance it can cause serious health problems. Levels that are too high increase the risk of heart disease, while levels that are too low can contribute to mental health concerns.
Cholesterin is a naturally occurring lipid (fat) that travels in lipoprotein cars around your blood vessels. If it gets too high, though, it can create a buildup of plaque in the arteries, causing a blockage that can lead to coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral artery disease (PAD) or stroke.
To lower cholesterol, you should eat a heart-healthy diet that’s low in saturated and trans fats, sugar, salt and processed foods. You should also exercise regularly and try to quit smoking. A doctor can help you make a treatment plan that’s right for you.
HDL cholesterol is the good form that moves excess cholesterol to your liver, where it’s removed from your bloodstream. It can help protect against heart disease, stroke and diabetes. When you have low HDL cholesterol, it can affect your hormones and may lead to a host of other health problems, including depression and dementia.
Diabetes
Cholesterol is a type of fat used by the body for many purposes, including forming cell walls and synthesizing hormones. But too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to clogged arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis, which reduces blood flow to the heart and brain and increases risk for stroke and heart attack.
Most of the cholesterol in the body comes from food, although a small amount is made by the liver. Particles called lipoproteins carry cholesterol and other fats in the bloodstream to where they are needed. Cholesterol levels are usually measured using a simple blood test. The tests determine levels of HDL (good) and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, which are another type of fat.
People with high cholesterol can typically manage the condition by eating a heart-healthy diet and regularly exercising. This includes avoiding saturated and trans fats, limiting sugary foods and beverages and choosing lean meats, fish, whole grains, nuts and vegetables. Exercise also helps lower cholesterol, but every person is different. So it’s important to find a regimen that works for them.
Depending on the person’s cholesterol level and other health conditions, doctors can prescribe a medication to help them achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol levels. This could include statins, ezetimibe or a new class of drugs known as PSCK9 inhibitors. But it’s important for patients to have open conversations with their doctors about what they can and cannot change in their lifestyle. Read More Blog
