High cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia has increasingly been affecting people for many, many years. Cholesterol levels consist of four types of cholesterol HDL and LDL Cholesterol. Lipoproteins (LDL) is the bad cholesterol. Plaque buildup in the arteries is caused by high levels of LDL cholesterol. The good cholesterol is called HDL (high density lipoproteins). A higher level of HDL cholesterol is better for you because it helps the body to get rid of the LDL cholesterol.
Triglycerides and VLDL are the other two types of cholesterol found in our bodies. Very low density lipoproteins or VLDL is a lot like LDL cholesterol and is made up mostly of fat and contains very little protein. VLDL is responsible for carrying the triglycerides in your blood. Excess calories, alcohol, or sugar in the body are converted into triglycerides in the liver and stored in fat cells throughout the body.
Having high cholesterol can lead to some serious health conditions. Heart disease and stroke can result from having high cholesterol. Plaque caused from high cholesterol levels in your blood can buildup and narrow the openings in your arteries reducing the flow of blood to your heart. Over time heart disease develops from hardening of the arteries which caused by plaque buildup in you blood vessels.
Angina is the result of not getting enough oxygen-carrying blood to the heart because the arteries are plugged with plaque. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by total blockage of a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack. The forming of a blood clot over a previous narrowing artery is what usually triggers a heart attack. The higher the levels of LDL in your blood, the higher the risk of heart disease. If your levels of HDL are too low, you are also increasing your risk of heart disease.
High cholesterol can be caused by a unhealthy diet one of several causes. A low-cholesterol diet can help improve cholesterol levels. If you can not lower your LDL level and increase your HDL level with a low-cholesterol diet than you may have to use methods of lowering your cholesterol levels.
Having high cholesterol can be pasted on from generation to generation. Your bodies genes are partly responsible for the amount of cholesterol your body makes. How fast LDL can be made and how quick it can be removed from the blood is what will determine how your LDL cholesterol is affected Often people inherit one certain form of high cholesterol called familial hypercholesterolemia which affects 1 in 500 people and this can lead to early heart disease.
Doctors have found that age and gender play a important part in the risk of having high cholesterol. Cholesterol levels rise as we get older. Before menopause, women tend to have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. A women’s LDL will rise after menopause until she reaches between the ages of 60 to 65 years old.
Disclaimer
No information contained in this article is intended to treat any illness, disease or health condition. It’s published for informational use only and was not intended to replace the consultation of your personal health care physician. Before using any herb or nutrient always consult your doctor.
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