Effects Of High Cholesterol Levels
The liver is the main processing centre for cholesterol and dietary fat. When we eat animal fats, the liver transports the fat, together with cholesterol in the form of lipoproteins, into our bloodstream.
Too much cholesterol circulating within LDL in our bloodstream leads to fatty deposits developing in the arteries. This causes the vessels to narrow and they can eventually become blocked. This can lead to heart disease and stroke.
When To Check Blood Pressure
Blood pressure is easy to measure with an inflatable cuff around your arm and anyone over the age of 18 should have it checked. Your doctor or other health providers likely check it anytime you go in for a visit. Itâs best to check your blood pressure at least once every couple of years. If youâve had a borderline or high reading in the past, itâs a good idea to check it more often.
High blood pressure doesnât always come with any warning signs. But over time, it can lead to serious health problems. Checking your blood pressure often will help you know whatâs normal for you and catch any problem sooner.
Medication May Be Needed
For some people, diet and lifestyle changes are not enough. High blood cholesterol levels often have a genetic component. Some people inherit altered genes that cause high cholesterol and this cannot usually be changed sufficiently by lifestyle or diet.
If you are at risk of coronary heart disease and your LDL cholesterol level doesnt drop after scrupulous attention to diet, your doctor may recommend medications to force your blood LDL levels down. Cell cholesterol levels, however, remain normal, so lowering blood cholesterol has no effect on most cell metabolic processes.
Some people get muscle aches from statins, which are the most commonly used medication to lower blood cholesterol. However, diet and exercise will still be important, even if you are taking medication. Your doctor may also refer you to a specialist who treats cardiovascular disease.
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What Is Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome refers to the presence of a cluster of risk factors specific for cardiovascular disease. Metabolic syndrome greatly raises the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, or all three.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute , the cluster of metabolic factors involved includes:
- Abdominal obesity. This means having a waist circumference of more than 35 inches for women and more than 40 inches for men. An increased waist circumference is the form of obesity most strongly tied to metabolic syndrome.
- High blood pressure of 130/80 mm Hg or higher. Normal blood pressure is defined as less than 120 mm Hg for systolic pressure , and less than 80 mm Hg for diastolic pressure . High blood pressure is strongly tied to obesity. It is often found in people with insulin resistance.
- Impaired fasting blood glucose. This means a level equal to or greater than 100 mg/dL
- High triglyceride levels of more than 150 mg/dL. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood.
- Low HDL cholesterol. Less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women is considered low.
The NHLBI and AHA recommend a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome when a person has 3 or more of these factors.
Smoking Tobacco Raises Blood Pressure But Does Cannabis Have The Same Effect
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a disease that affects 1 in 3 American adults. With this fact in mind, and the number of states who are legalizing recreational and medicinal cannabis, many people are asking what kind of effect that cannabis has on blood pressure. Smoking tobacco raises blood pressure, but does cannabis have the same effect? The answer largely depends on who you ask or which study you find to read.
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Cigar And Pipe Smoke Risks
Researchers know less about how cigar and pipe smoke affects the heart and blood vessels than they do about cigarette smoke.
However, the smoke from cigars and pipes contains the same harmful chemicals as the smoke from cigarettes. Also, studies have shown that people who smoke cigars are at increased risk of heart disease.
Benefits Of Quitting Smoking And Avoiding Secondhand Smoke
One of the best ways to reduce your risk of heart disease is to avoid tobacco smoke. Dont ever start smoking. If you already smoke, quit. No matter how much or how long youve smoked, quitting will benefit you.
Also, try to avoid secondhand smoke. Dont go to places where smoking is allowed. Ask friends and family members who smoke not to do it in the house and car.
Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of developing and dying from heart disease. Over time, quitting also will lower your risk of atherosclerosis and blood clots.
If you smoke and already have heart disease, quitting smoking will reduce your risk of sudden cardiac death, a second heart attack, and death from other chronic diseases.
Researchers have studied communities that have banned smoking at worksites and in public places. The number of heart attacks in these communities dropped quite a bit. Researchers think these results are due to a decrease in active smoking and reduced exposure to secondhand smoke.
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Conditions Not Directly Involving The Coronary Arteries
Sometimes angina can occur when portions of the heart muscle are not getting enough oxygen even though the coronary arteries themselves are completely normal. Conditions that can produce angina without coronary artery disease include:
- Extremely low blood pressure, as may occur in shock due to hemorrhage
- excessive alcohol consumption
- stress
A number of health conditions, such as diabetes and kidney disease, have also been linked to an increase risk of developing primary high blood pressure.
What You Can Do About It
If you have an above-average risk for heart disease or heart attack even with normal cholesterol or low cholesterol, medication might be appropriate, according to Harvard Health Publishing. A cholesterol-lowering statin is the primary medication used to reduce the risk for heart attack, even for people who don’t necessarily have high cholesterol.
Of course, diet, exercise and other lifestyle factors also play a major role in keeping heart problems under control. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress and quitting smoking are all key considerations.
“Make low-cholesterol choices and work on eating foods that contain good cholesterol,” Dr. Besser says. “This will help raise good cholesterol, which is protective. Weight loss if you have overweight will also help lower your bad cholesterol. Lastly, add exercise, as that will also help raise good cholesterol.”
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The Importance Of Screening
There are no early warning signs for high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Theyâre pretty sneaky when it comes to doing damage. The only way to find out your numbers is to get screened with a painless blood pressure measurement and a simple blood test.
Because these conditions are starting at earlier ages than in the past, the American Heart Association recommends everyone 20 years or older get screened and work with their doctor to rein in high numbers.
Need another reason? High blood pressure and cholesterol levels in young adults may increase heart disease risk later in life, even if those levels are brought under control later on.
Research shows that high LDL in early adulthood is linked with a 64% increase in heart disease risk later on, compared to a healthy LDL level. High systolic and diastolic blood pressure are linked with 37% and 21% increased risks, respectively, for heart failure.
Screening not only saves lives, but also helps you avoid the costs and emotional toll of medical care to treat advanced conditions.
Show Sources
American Heart Association: â2021 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update Fact Sheet At-a-Glance,â âHealth Threats from High Blood Pressure,â âHow Can High Blood Pressure Cause a Heart Attack?â âCombining drugs that lower blood pressure and cholesterol could do more to prevent stroke,â âPrevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol,â âIs drinking alcohol part of a healthy lifestyle?â
Myth : I Have High Blood Pressure So I Need To Take It Easy
Truth: Being sedentary is just not a good idea. Physical activity is one of the biggest favors you can do for not just your blood pressure, but also your overall health. From strengthening your heart muscle to improving blood flow to the brain, exercise is critical to feeling good and warding off depression and anxiety not to mention maintaining a healthier body weight. Exercise can even help reduce and reverse the progression of existing heart disease as well as the likelihood of having a heart attack.
That said, not everyone should jump into the exact same exercise plan. Many guidelines point to the need for five sessions of moderate activity per week, but your doctor may recommend starting off with just 10 minutes of daily exercise and increasing that weekly until you reach 30-minute sessions. You dont have to be a hard-core triathlete to benefitany activity you do will help, even taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Talk to your doctor for guidelines that fit your personal situation.
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How To Access Medical Marijuana Legally
The federal law still lists marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug. According to them, the drug has a high potential for abuse and has no accepted medical use currently. However, the medical use of marijuana is legal in 33 US states. You can buy high-potency cannabis products from licensed dispensaries in your state. And, for that, you require a doctors recommendation.
Now, with telemedicine technology, you can talk to medical marijuana doctors New York without visiting a clinic. The process is 100 percent online and involves the following steps-
- Sign up an account
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What Are Hdl Ldl And Vldl
HDL, LDL, and VLDL are lipoproteins. They are a combination of fat and protein. The lipids need to be attached to the proteins so they can move through the blood. Different types of lipoproteins have different purposes:
- HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It is sometimes called “good” cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver then removes the cholesterol from your body.
- LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. It is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to the buildup of plaque in your arteries.
- VLDL stands for very low-density lipoprotein. Some people also call VLDL a “bad” cholesterol because it too contributes to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. But VLDL and LDL are different VLDL mainly carries triglycerides and LDL mainly carries cholesterol.
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High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol In Your 20s
In your 20s, you may feel worry-free about your health. But you may be wrong. High cholesterol levels and high blood pressure can pop up and be indicative of future problems down the road if not taken care of. Were looking at what influences these readings and steps you can take now to improve.
As you enter your 20s, youre likely just getting a handle on managing your health on your own. From transitioning from a pediatrician to a primary care provider , and getting familiar with your familys health history its a lot to handle. Since youre considered young by most standards, you may be thinking that you wont have a lot of health concerns to worry about for the next few years.
When it comes to your personal health, its never too early to make it a habit of regularly visiting your PCP and becoming familiar with your vital signs and readings like your and cholesterol levels. Its been found that if you have elevated blood pressure and high cholesterol in your 20s, you may be more at risk for serious health conditions later in life. Before we jump into lifestyle changes you can make that may help lower both of these, lets take a look at what high cholesterol and hypertension are and how theyre related.
High Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Work Together To Damage Arteries
Over time, this high pressure damages your arteries and other blood vessels. They just arent built to manage a constant high-pressure blood flow. As a result, they start to suffer from tears and other types of damage.
Those tears make nice resting places for excess cholesterol. That means that the damage high blood pressure creates inside arteries and blood vessels can actually lead to even more plaque buildup and artery narrowing because of high blood cholesterol. In turn, your heart has to work even harder to pump blood, putting excess strain on your heart muscle.
The two conditions are like a team of villains working together to make things worse for your heart, arteries, and overall health. Indeed, over time, high blood pressure and cholesterol can cause problems in your eyes, kidneys, brain, and other organs as well.
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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.
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Does Cbd Lower Blood Pressure
The short-term, acute effects of cannabis on blood pressure are well documented and understood. Immediately following the consumption of marijuana, there has been a noted spike in blood pressure and heart rate. However, the long-term effects of cannabis use on blood pressure are not as well understood. Faulty studies and the fact that lab results tested on animals sometimes do not transfer well to humans are factors in the lack of long-term studies on the long-term effects of cannabis on blood pressure.
Additionally, after that initial increase in blood pressure, there is also a noted a hypotensive effect and relaxed heart rate. Anecdotally, many people report cannabis as a means of maintaining healthy blood pressure, something that is backed by some research studies.
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Your Diabetes Risk Assessment
Your health professional will take your blood pressure and BMI test results into account to assess whether you’re at an increased risk of developing diabetes.
You may be invited for another test to check that you do not have diabetes if:
- your diabetes risk assessment score is more than 5.6%
- your BMI is more than 30 , or
- your blood pressure is high , or where the systolic blood pressure or diastolic blood pressure exceeds 140mmHG or 90mmHg respectively
Your Diet Is Terrible
An unhealthy diet full of sugar, red meat, overly processed carbohydrates, baked goods and fried foods is terrible for LDL cholesterol. “High cholesterol clogs your arteries,” says Julia Zumpano, RD. “Eat in a way that keeps the arteries open and clear because restricted blood flow leads to heart attacks. The amount of research that supports the Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health is phenomenal. It’s been proven to be very effective for managing heart disease.”
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There Are No Warning Signs
Typically, there are not really warning signs for people with high cholesterol, said Dr. Kirley, noting there are some relatively uncommon disorders where people can get physical symptoms like lesions on their skin, but those are quite uncommon.
For the most part, the only way you can get insight into your cholesterol levels and how they might play into your risk for heart attack and stroke is to be evaluated by your physician and have your levels tested with a blood test, she added.
Whats The Connection Between High Blood Cholesterol And Hypertension
Having one risk factor for heart disease means you need to be careful. Having two means you need to make some significant changes in your life.
Scientists have found that when people have more than one risk factor, like high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, these factors work together to make risk of heart disease much worse.
Even if your cholesterol and blood pressure levels are only mildly elevated, when they are both present in your body, they can interact with each other to more quickly damage your blood vessels and your heart. If not controlled, they eventually set the stage for heart attack and stroke, as well as other problems like kidney malfunction and vision loss.
If youve already been diagnosed with high blood cholesterol, watch those blood pressure numbers like a hawk! These two risk factors like to hang out together. But if youre aware of whats happening, you can win the battle for your health.
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Your Physical Activity Score
As part of your NHS Health Check, your physical activity level will be measured and you will be given a score that is calculated using an internationally validated tool.
There is good evidence that taking part in moderate or vigorous physical activity every day can reduce your risk of more than 20 health conditions, from diabetes to dementia. It can also improve the management and reduce the risk of complications of many common conditions such as high blood pressure.
The Chief Medical Officer recommends that all adults should do some type of physical activity every day.
Adults aged 19 to 64 should:
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity, or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, every week
- do regular muscle-strengthening exercise
- reduce the amount of time spent sitting or lying down
Adults aged 65 and older should:
- do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity every week if already active, or a combination of both
- do activities that improve strength, balance and flexibility on at least 2 days a week
- reduce time sitting or lying down
If you are interested in increasing the amount of physical activity you do, you will be offered help and support to gradually increase your activity.