Your body builds new cells, insulate nerves, and produces hormones with the help of cholesterol. The liver normally makes all the cholesterol the body needs. However, cholesterol enters your body from food, like animal based foods such as milk, eggs and meat. A major risk factor for heart disease is too much cholesterol.
When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease. The arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart, you may suffer chest pains. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack.
The two forms of cholesterol Americans are familiar with are low density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol) and high density lipoprotein (HDL or "good" cholesterol). Cholesterol travels in the blood in this form. LDLs have little protein and high levels of cholesterol and HDL has a lot of protein and very little cholesterol.
LDL is the main source of artery clogging plaque. HDL actually works to clear cholesterol from the blood.
Another fat in the bloodstream is triglycerides. According to research, high levels of triglycerides are linked to heart disease.
There are no symptoms of high cholesterol which is why so many people are unaware that their cholesterol levels are too high. This is why it is important to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessons the chance of heart disease developing. The chance of a heart attack is reduced even if you have it already.
Some recommend that everyone over the age of 20 should get their cholesterol levels measured at least once every 5 years. The test that is performed is a blood test called a lipoprotein profile. - 30310
When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of your arteries, causing a process called atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease. The arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart muscle is slowed down or blocked. The blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart, you may suffer chest pains. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack.
The two forms of cholesterol Americans are familiar with are low density lipoprotein (LDL or "bad" cholesterol) and high density lipoprotein (HDL or "good" cholesterol). Cholesterol travels in the blood in this form. LDLs have little protein and high levels of cholesterol and HDL has a lot of protein and very little cholesterol.
LDL is the main source of artery clogging plaque. HDL actually works to clear cholesterol from the blood.
Another fat in the bloodstream is triglycerides. According to research, high levels of triglycerides are linked to heart disease.
There are no symptoms of high cholesterol which is why so many people are unaware that their cholesterol levels are too high. This is why it is important to find out what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessons the chance of heart disease developing. The chance of a heart attack is reduced even if you have it already.
Some recommend that everyone over the age of 20 should get their cholesterol levels measured at least once every 5 years. The test that is performed is a blood test called a lipoprotein profile. - 30310
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