DANGERS AND COMPLICATIONS OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL IN THE BODY

HEALTH TIPS

HELLO FRIENDS
 
In my previous post i talked about the causes of high cholesterol and its danger to your body..click here to read ..In today's post i will be talking on the dangers and complications of high cholesterol in the body..

High cholesterol levels can cause: 

ATHEROSCLEROSIS- narrowing of the arteries.
STROKE- Occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or vein, interrupting the flow of blood to an area of the brain. Stroke can also occur when a blood vessel breaks. Brain cells begin to die.
HIGHER CORONARY HEART DISEASE RISK-an abnormality of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart.
HEART ATTACK- occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to an area of the heart muscle is blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery. This causes the heart muscle to die.
ANGINA-chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood.
OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR CONDITIONS- diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
     
 TREATMENT OF HIGH CHOLESTEROL

LIFESTYLE
   .Adequate physical exercise
   .Stop smoking cigarettes
   .Consume only moderate quantities of alcohol.
   .Eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oats, good quality fats
   .Avoiding foods with saturated fats
   .Getting plenty of sleep (8 hours each night )
   .Bring your body weight back to normal
many experts say that people who are at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease will not lower their risk just by altering their diet. Nevertheless , a healthy diet will have numerous health benefits.

CHOLESTEROL-CONTROLLING MEDICATIONS

If your cholesterol levels are still high after doing everything mentioned above, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drugs. They may include the following:

.STATINS: These are the commonest group of drugs prescribed for lowering cholesterol level.
.ASPIRIN
.DRUGS TO LOWER TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS
.NIACIN
.ANTI HYPERTENSIVE DRUGS- If you have high blood pressure your doctor may prescribe blood pressure lowering drugs.

      DO NOT PRESCRIBE THESE DRUGS FOR      YOURSELF.

                      CHOLESTEROL FACT SHEET
 .High cholesterol is also referred to as hypercholesterolemia (hyper=high + cholesterol + emia=in the blood) or hyperlipidemia.

.Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is an important part of the outer lining of cells in  the body.

.Cholesterol is found in the blood circulation

.Cholesterol in the blood originates from dietary intake and liver production.

.Dietary cholesterol comes primarily from animals sources including meat, poultry, fish, and diary product.

.Organic meats such as liver are especially high in cholesterol content.

 .LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is called 'bad' cholesterol, because elevated levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is called  the 'good cholesterol' because HDL cholesterol particles prevent atherosclerosis by extracting cholesterol from artery walls and disposing of them through liver metabolism.

.High levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol are risk factors for atherosclerosis.

Research has shown that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease.

.Factors that affect blood cholesterol levels include diet, body weight, exercise, age and gender, diabetes, heredity, and other causes include underlying medical conditions.

.Guidelines recommend that cholesterol screening should occur every 5 years after age 20. should elevated cholesterol levels be found, testing may need to occur more frequently.

.Health care practitioners and the national institute of health recommend that a persons cholesterol level stay below 200.

.Cholesterol levels 200-239 are considered borderline high.

.Cholesterol levels 240 or greater are considered high.

.Drugs available to treat high cholesterol include statins, aspirin and other drugs that may be prescribed by your medical doctor.

.Drugs to lower blood cholesterol levels are most effective when combined with a low cholesterol diet. 
          
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