Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a touchy subject for many. You could be one of the ones that end up with high

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cholesterol and would have to take a prescription to help bring it back down to a safer level. If you do not bring it down to the safe cholesterol for your body, you could end up with more problems than just high cholesterol. You could end up in the hospital with more serious complications that what you are ready for.

You may end up there with the signs of a stroke or hear attack. With high cholesterol you actually have clots going trough you that may end up blocking an artery or vain that would cause you to much discomfort and with the outcome of going through an operation to try to open up the blockage. That would not only be hard for you to go through but it would also be hard for your family to see you go through it as well.

There is help out there and the main person that can help you out is you doctor. They have the ability to give you the proper medication to help bring your cholesterol level down to where they should be for you. By doing this it could save you a lot of pain in the future.
You would defiantly need to listen to everything that your physician tells you so that you can help bring your cholesterol levels back down to where they need to be safely. The worse thing to do is find out the hard way that you have a cholesterol problem.

That may be when you end up in the hospital from heart complications that you were not aware of because you never went to the doctors for a check up when your were healthy. The main advice that you could give or even receive is that you need to go to the doctor for a check up at least once a year and let them know if you have a family history of high cholesterol. If you do have a family history of high cholesterol you may be subject to get it as well that is something that your physician would need to decide.

Low-density lipoprotein is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart

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and brain. Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. A clot (thrombus) that forms near this plaque can block the blood flow to part of the heart muscle and cause a heart attack. If a clot blocks the blood flow to part of the brain, a stroke results. A high level of LDL cholesterol (160 mg/dL and above) reflects an increased risk of heart disease. If you have heart disease, your LDL cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL. That's why LDL cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol. Lower levels of LDL cholesterol reflect a lower risk of heart disease.

Good Cholesterol -Why is it Good for You?

HDLcholesterol , also known as the good cholesterol has the ability to transport cholesterol found in the blood over to the liver which changes the cholesterol in a way to allow its removal from the body. Some experts in the field claim that HDL can also eliminate excess cholesterol from what is known as arterial plaque which thereby decreases its buildup.

If you have the proper level of HDL in your body the

Good Cholesterol, Bad Cholesterol:
An Indispensable Guide to the Facts about Cholesterol

chances are significantly reduced that the cholesterol located in your blood will form deposits in your coronary arteries. Keeping your LDL (bad cholesterol) at a low level and the HDL (good cholesterol) at a high level will reduce your risk of acquiring heart disease and atherosclerosis. HDL can actually protect your heart from disease.

Unfortunately, some doctors still emphasize lowering the bad cholesterol to their patients and tend not to mention that they should make efforts to raise their good cholesterol level. This is unfortunate since a lot of people who have normal total cholesterol levels and normal bad cholesterol levels have a below normal amount of the good cholesterol in their bodies and thus are still at a higher risk than average for acquiring heart disease.

For adults who are twenty years old and older the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends you keep your total cholesterol level below 200 mg/dl, your HDL cholesterol level higher than 40 mg/dl and the LDL cholesterol level below 100 mg/dl.

Increase HDL (Good Cholesterol) with Diet Changes

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are considered unsaturated fats and have been shown to reduce your LDL cholesterol level and increase your HDL level. Unsaturated fats can be found in vegetable oils, seeds and nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are contained in high levels in sunflower oil, soybean oil and corn oil. Monounsaturated fats are found in ample quantities in olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil.

It is very important to eliminate or significantly reduce Trans fats form your diet, not only to lower the bad cholesterol level but also to increase your good cholesterol level. If a food item contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oils eliminate it from your diet because they are considered to be Trans fats. Experts recommend that you make sure you have the proper amount of soluble fiber in your diet. Soluble fiber is contained in some vegetables, fruits, oats, and legumes. Soluble fiber increases your good cholesterol level and lowers your bad cholesterol level.

Other Ways to Increase your Good Cholesterol

Getting involved with aerobic exercises such as jogging or riding a bicycle or even walking has been shown to increase your HDL level. If you are overweight, reducing your weight can cause an increase in your HDL level and it also reduces your LDL level. For people who smoke tobacco, they can increase their good cholesterol level by quitting smoking. They have not yet developed a drug that is safe and significantly useful in raising good cholesterol so eating the good fats, eliminating the bad fats from your diet and exercising are a few approaches to raising your good cholesterol level.

So reducing cholesterol is important, but how do you do it? There are many lifestyle modifications that you can make to bring those numbers down, including quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption. Daily cardiovascular exercise is also an important part of keeping our hearts healthy and strong and reducing cholesterol levels. There are plenty of other health benefits to regular exercise as well, so get out there and get moving! Take a walk or a bid ride through your neighborhood, or join a local fitness center. Take up a new hobby like swimming or hiking. Your heart will thank you.

Diet is another important element in reducing cholesterol levels. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fats, and fill your plate instead with fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Keep your meats and dairy choices low-fat, and avoid refined sugars and flour as much as possible. A healthy diet will not only help you in reducing cholesterol, it will also lessen the likelihood of other conditions like diabetes and some cancers.

If your diet changes and exercise program are not successful in reducing cholesterol, there are also medications that can help lower the number. Many of these medicines fall into the category of statins, and require a doctor's prescription. Statins are not right for everyone, so talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of medication before you begin taking one. With the large number of choices in reducing cholesterol, you can rest assured that you will be on the road to better health in no time.