Responses To High Cholesterol Does Not Cause Stroke
But will the health authorities and health insurance companies EVER accept that their dogma to eat a healthy diet is just plain wrong? I doubt it.
Furthermore, I think it would take 20+ years for them to back away from the dogma because on a human level you need to wait until all the senior members have retired, or died, before they can change the institutional advice. In auditing as practiced by accountants, this is known as the self review threat where the same people review their previous work and as a result previous errors are either covered up, or simply not identified, or subject to saving face.
Cholesterol And Coronary Heart Disease
The main risk from high cholesterol is coronary heart disease, which can lead to death from a heart attack. If your cholesterol level is too high, cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup — called plaque — causes hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis. Arteries that feed the heart can narrow in certain areas and slow blood flow to part of the heart muscle. Or cholesterol plaques break off and float to smaller blood vessels and cause a partial or total blockage. Sometimes inflammatory cells might go to the broken plaque area and cause a narrowing there as well. Reduced blood flow can result in chest pain called angina, or in a heart attack if a blood vessel gets blocked completely.
These Diets Helped Women With Diabetes Cut Heart Attack Stroke Risk
Diabetes afflicts one-quarter of Americans 65 and older. An estimated 68% of these patients will die of heart disease, and 16% will die of stroke. Read how eating patterns similar to the Mediterranean diet and the blood pressure-lowering DASH may help older women with Type 2 diabetes ward off heart attacks, strokes and related problems.
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Can High Cholesterol Be Prevented Or Avoided
Making healthy food choices and exercising are two ways to reduce your risk of developing high cholesterol.
Eat fewer foods with saturated fats . Choose healthier fats. This includes lean meats, avocados, nuts, and low-fat dairy items. Avoid foods that contain trans fat . Look for foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These foods include salmon, herring, walnuts, and almonds. Some egg brands contain omega-3.
Exercise can be simple. Go for a walk. Take a yoga class. Ride your bike to work. You could even participate in a team sport. Aim to get 30 minutes of activity every day.
Can Supplements Cause High Cholesterol
Yes. High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease. , and, are the most common types of cholesterol in the blood. The more cholesterol you have, the more likely you are to have high blood cholesterol. In addition, high levels of LDL cholesterol are also a major risk for cardiovascular disease . The American Heart Association recommends that people with high LDL cholesterol should avoid eating foods high in saturated fat, such as butter, margarine, cheese, or other processed foods. This is because saturated fats are known to increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
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Good Vs Bad Cholesterol
Bad cholesterol, Low-density lipoproteins , can build up in your arteries and lead to health complications. Good cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins , returns your LDL cholesterol to the liver where the body can get rid of it. Your body needs a healthy balance of both good and bad cholesterol.
A diet high in fats increases LDL cholesterol in your blood. If LDL levels become too high or if you dont have enough HDL cholesterol to remove excess LDL, fatty deposits build up in your blood vessels. As a result, it makes it difficult for your body to pump adequate blood supply, creating potentially life-threatening problems impacting the heart or brain.
High cholesterol does not always cause symptoms in fact it typically begins with no symptoms at all. Thats why regular cholesterol screenings are so important regardless if you think you have high cholesterol or not.
Cholesterol And High Blood Pressure
Though high blood pressure appears linked to cholesterol levels, doctors continue to study exactly how. High cholesterol seems to trigger inflammation and the release of certain hormones that causes blood vessels to tighten or âconstrictâ and so raises blood pressure. Doctors call it âendothelial dysfunction, when blood vessels behave this way.
High blood pressure is also linked to heart disease.
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Cholesterol And Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is when a man canât achieve or maintain an erection during sex. Over the long term, high cholesterol seems to trigger a narrowing of the smaller blood vessels of the penis when they should be stretching to allow more blood for an erection . In addition, when you have too much LDL cholesterol, it can build up in arteries and then join with other substances to form plaque that hardens and narrows further blood vessels . The result can be less blood flow to both the heart and the penis, which can lead to erectile dysfunction.
The Role Of Cholesterol
Medications used to lower cholesterol levelsin particular, the class of drugs known as statinshave been shown to lower the risk of having a stroke and may reduce the severity of a stroke, if one occurs. By reducing levels of LDL, statins and other cholesterol-lowering drugs help prevent plaque formation and, in turn, stroke and heart disease.
In fact, statins have even been shown to reduce stroke risk in patients with normal cholesterol levels.
Statins also help stabilize existing plaque deposits. Statins help make plaques less fatty and more fibrous, making them more resistant to rupture. When a plaque ruptures, pieces of the plaque break free and are carried away in the bloodstream, where they may lodge in the arteries that supply oxygen to the brain. In addition, the ruptured plaque can trigger the blood to clot, which further increases the risk of blocked blood flow. Statins, however, reduce inflammation and help prevent clots from forming.
Large research studies have drawn clear ties between the use of statins and decreasing stroke risk. One meta-analysis found that statin use reduces stroke risk by 21 percent and that every 10 percent reduction in LDL levels resulted in a 15.6 percent reduction in stroke risk.
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Living With High Cholesterol
If you have high cholesterol, you are twice as likely to develop heart disease. That is why it is important to have your cholesterol levels checked, especially if you have a family history of heart disease. Reducing your LDL bad cholesterol through good diet, exercise, and medicine can make a positive impact on your overall health.
Is Insulin What Causes A Stroke Or Heart Attack
In an insulin-resistant person, normal levels of insulin do not have the same effect on muscle and fat cells, with the result that glucose levels stay higher than normal.
Too much sugar in the blood causes damage to the arteries.
To compensate for this, the pancreas in an insulin-resistant individual is stimulated to release more insulin.
- These high insulin levels in turn cause problems throughout the body both hormonal changes as well as inflammation.
So when your doctor says that you are “pre-diabetic” the damage that causes a stroke or heart attack is already happening.
How do you know that this is happening?
Typical symptoms of insulin resistance are:
You may want to protect yourself with one of the best insulin resistance supplements!
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Can High Cholesterol Levels Increase Your Risk Of Stroke
The shortest answer to this question is yes. Having high cholesterol levels in your bloodstream can lead to cutting off the blood supply to many different organs in the body. While the heart is normally the organ people associate high cholesterol with, this high lipid issue can affect other organs in your body as well, and the brain is one of them.
When It Comes To Understanding This Link The Devil Is In The Details
When we talk about LDL cholesterol, it’s always described as bad or harmful and with good reason. High blood levels of this artery-clogging substance boost the risk of heart disease, the nation’s leading cause of death. The more you can lower your LDL cholesterol , the lower your risk of a heart attack. For heart attack survivors, national guidelines recommend aiming for an LDL cholesterol level of less than 70 milligrams per deciliter to prevent a second heart attack.
In the past year, however, two studies in the journal Neurology reported a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke in people with LDL levels of 70 and lower. While that sounds worrisome, a closer look at the findings can put these results into perspective.
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Medical Professionals Treating Stroke
A person at high risk of stroke will have their condition managed by a team of medical professionals, which may include:
- your doctor
- geriatrician
- neurologist
- vascular surgeon
- neurosurgeon .
- Dietitians Association of Australia Tel. 1800 812 942
- National Stroke Foundation StrokeLine Tel. 1800 787 653
- – The Stroke Foundation – Get the information, tips & techniques to equip you in your stroke recovery.
- Heart Foundation Heartline Tel. 1300 36 27 87
- Quitline Tel. 13 7848
Good Vs Bad Cholesterol And Stroke Risk
There are two different types of cholesterol HDL and LDL and they both affect your risk of stroke in different ways.
LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that, when consumed in excess, can buildup on the walls of your arteries. Without proper management, it can progress into a condition called atherosclerosis. This is a major risk factor for stroke characterized by narrowing of the arteries.
HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is the good cholesterol. It acts as a healthy scavenger that carries bad LDL away from the arteries and into the liver where its broken down.
Having high LDL and low HDL cholesterol is known to increase ones risk of stroke. By taking proactive measures to reduce LDL and increase HDL cholesterol , you can effectively reduce your chances of experiencing a stroke.
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When Should High Cholesterol Be Treated With Medication
If youve had a heart attack, stroke, or have diabetes or been diagnosed with inherited high cholesterol, youll need to take one or more cholesterol-lowering medications, in addition to being careful with your diet and staying active. Statins can have a tremendous impact for lowering LDL cholesterol, says Khandwalla. Statins decrease your risk of illness and dying if youre in one of these high-risk groups.
In addition to statins, which should always be used first, other cholesterol-lowering drugs include fibrates, niacin, PCSK9 inhibitors, bile-acid sequestrants, and cholesterol absorption inhibitors, according to the CDC.
If you found out your cholesterol was high after a routine checkup, discuss your test results with your doctor. Your doctor will calculate your individual risk of heart attack or stroke to decide if you should be on a statin.
In some cases, the doctor may recommend giving a healthy diet and active lifestyle a try first. However, if your cholesterol levels remain high, you may need a heart scan to look for plaque buildup in your arteries, and your doctor may prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs to lower your heart-disease and stroke risk.
What Causes High Cholesterol If I Eat Healthy Can It Be Genetic
If you eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise but still have high cholesterol, your DNA may be a bigger factor than your lifestyle. About 1 in 250 people in the United States live with familial hypercholesterolemia , a life-threatening inherited disorder that causes high cholesterol.
Unfortunately, 90 percent of people who have it dont know it, according to the FH Foundation, a national nonprofit organization based in Pasadena, California. Screening for high cholesterol is the only way to identify people who have FH. Because of this, all children should have a cholesterol screening once between ages 9 and 11, recommends the American Academy of Pediatrics.
If your LDL is above 100, its already considered high. If its higher than 190, you may have FH, according to leading heart groups, such as the AHA, the American College of Cardiology, and the National Lipid Association. If a parent has FH, their child has a chance of having it, too. Finding out if you have FH and getting treated if you do is vital, because having FH means your risk of heart disease is 20 times higher than that of people who dont have inherited high cholesterol, according to the FH Foundation.
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Consequences Of A Stroke
As mentioned above, one of the most prominent risk factors for a stroke is untreated high cholesterol. If you fail to control your dietary habits, you can end up having severe brain damage, which can be as problematic as:
- Paralysis. One common result of a stroke is losing the ability to control muscles, as well as paralysis. This damage can be permanent, or reversible with a long period of therapy. If permanent, you will have to rewire your brain and your lifestyle to be able to perform routine activities, such as walking or getting dressed.
- Memory loss. Since parts of your brain may be permanently affected by a stroke, its not uncommon for people to experience memory loss in both the long and short term.
- Behavioral changes. A stroke can affect a persons physical health, but also the way they deal with emotions. Its not uncommon for stroke sufferers to end up feeling depressed, become introverted, and lack the motivation to interact with others. On the other hand, some people become angrier, more aggressive, and more impulsive.
- Thinking problems. Depending on which part of the brain was affected by the stroke, some people end up having problems concentrating, thinking, or communicating all problems which are closely tied to the aforementioned memory loss.
High Cholesterol And Stroke: How Are They Related
Can high cholesterol cause a stroke? Generally speaking, yes, high cholesterol is one of the leading causes of stroke. However, not all cholesterol is bad. In fact, the body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function optimally.
To help you understand the link between high cholesterol and stroke, this article will discuss how cholesterol affects stroke risk as well as effective ways to manage cholesterol.
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Fetal Nutrition And Stroke
Recent research has focused on the association of fetal nutrition with certain physical deformities and the risk of vascular diseases rather than the risk of tuberculosis nevertheless, this research confirms the general principle that early nutritional status has a lasting influence on the risk of degenerative disease. Inadequate nutrition during various stages of fetal development causes corresponding changes in various physical parameters these parameters are in turn associated with the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.Soon after conception, inadequate nutrition causes the womb to reallocate cells from the fetus to the placenta in order to extract more nutrition from the blood supply of the mother the inevitable result is a loss of raw material from which to generate fetal tissue. During later stages of growth, the fetus compensates for inadequate nutrition by sacrificing the supply of nutrients to muscles and internal organs such as the liver and pancreas in favor of supplying the brain the exception is the left ventricle of the heart, which may grow larger than is normal in order to pump hard enough to supply the brain with extra blood. This general pattern of compensation results in a reduced ratio of body length to head circumference .48
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High Triglycerides And Atherosclerosis
High triglyceride levels are linked to atherosclerosis, a condition in which cholesterol and other substances form plaques within the walls of an artery. If a plaque ruptures, the plaque fragments or blood clots can block the flow of blood in either an artery supplying the heart, which could cause a heart attack, or an artery supplying the brain, which could cause a stroke.
There are other important factors in the development of atherosclerosisabove all, the levels of LDL, the so-called “bad cholesterol.” Contributing factors to the development of atherosclerosis include obesity and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a pre-diabetic condition marked by an impaired response to insulin, the main hormone involved in the transfer of food energy to cells throughout the body.
The American Heart Association’s scientific statement in 2011 says triglyceride is not a direct cause of atherosclerosis but it is a marker of cardiovascular disease risk.
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How Low Can It Go
Early trials with cholesterol-lowering drugs were less than promising. A 1993 report pooled together the results of 13 trials conducted between 1966 and 1992 involving over 45,000 men. Cholesterol lowering had no effect on the incidence of stroke. There was a general tendency for it to decrease the risk of nonfatal stroke and increase the risk of fatal stroke, but the only trials in which the magnitudes of these differences were strong enough to be distinguished from the effects of chance were those that used the drug clofibrate. Clofibrate belongs to a class of drugs, called fibrates, that increase the excretion of lipids into the bile. Treatment with clofibrate more than doubled the risk of fatal stroke. The only trial that specifically reported the effect of treatment on hemorrhagic stroke used another fibrate called gemfibrozil. Treatment with this drug resulted in five times the risk of fatal hemorrhagic stroke.25
Hemorrhagic stroke is four times as deadly as ischemic stroke,21 and survival of both types is positively associated with cholesterol levels.22 The results of the early trials with cholesterol-lowering drugs may well reflect a tradeoff between hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke as well as a decreased ability to survive either type.