Sunday, March 24, 2024
HomeHow High Cholesterol Is Bad

How High Cholesterol Is Bad

What Has The Biggest Impact On Ldl Cholesterol

What is Cholesterol? | LDL and HDL | Good and Bad Cholesterol

Contrary to the long-held belief that dietary cholesterol itself is a major cause of high LDL, evidence suggests a weaker link. It’s still a good idea to steer clear of dietary cholesterol, but that intake isn’t the biggest influence. The current understanding is that the specific mix of carbohydrates and fats in your diet is the biggest factor in determining your LDL levels.

How To Lower Cholesterol: Low

Low-carbohydrate diets may help improve HDL cholesterol levels. The National Institutes of Health conducted a study that found while both low-fat and low-carb dieters lost weight over the two-year study period, low-carb dieters also improved their HDL cholesterol levels. The problem with low-carb diets is that they may be difficult to adhere to. Consult your doctor about the best healthy eating plan to manage your cholesterol.

Myth: I Dont Need Statins Or Other Medicines For My Cholesterol I Can Manage My Cholesterol With Diet And Exercise

Fact: Although many people can achieve good cholesterol levels by making healthy food choices and getting enough physical activity, some people may also need medicines called statins to lower their cholesterol levels. Guidelinesexternal icon also suggest that other medicines in addition to statins may be needed to help control cholesterol.2

People who may need statins or other medicines to manage cholesterol levels include the following:

  • People with familial hypercholesterolemia or people with very high levels of bad cholesterol. FH is a genetic condition that causes very high LDL cholesterol levels beginning at a young age. If left untreated, cholesterol levels will continue to get worse. This greatly raises the risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke at a young age.
  • People with cardiovascular disease . People with CVD may already have narrowed arteries because of too much plaque. Medicines that lower cholesterol may help reduce the risk for heart attack or stroke.
  • People with diabetes.Type 2 diabetes lowers HDL or good cholesterol levels and raises bad cholesterol levels. This combination raises your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Other groups of people may also need medicines to manage their cholesterol, including people who have a high risk for CVD. Always talk to your health care provider about the best ways to manage your cholesterol.

Don’t Miss: Pork Cholesterol Amount

Cholesterol Levels For Children

By comparison, acceptable levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in children are different.

  • An acceptable range of total cholesterol for a child is less than 170 mg/dL. Borderline high total cholesterol for a child ranges from 170 to 199 mg/dL. Any reading of total cholesterol over 200 in a child is too high.
  • A childs LDL cholesterol levels should also be lower than an adults. The optimal range of LDL cholesterol for a child is less than 110 mg/dL. Borderline high is from 110 to 129 mg/dL while high is over 130 mg/dL.

How Can You Prevent High Cholesterol Levels And Coronary Heart Disease

Top 10 Foods that will Help Reduce Cholesterol, Stress ...

Prevention methods are very much the same as treatment methods. First, dont smoke. If you do smoke, make plans to quit now. Find ways to add physical activity to each of your days. Take steps to keep your weight in a healthy range. Eat well. Consider following the Mediterranean diet. It is the only diet proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. Take care of any other medical conditions you might have by following your healthcare providers advice and instructions. Learn to really relax and calm down.

Don’t Miss: Does Shrimp Have High Cholesterol

How You Turn Fat Into Energy On A Low

When youre on a high-carb diet, you get most of your energy from glucose. You eat carbs, digest them into glucose, and send glucose through your bloodstream to hungry cells, with a little direction from insulin. Your blood is mostly water, and glucose dissolves into it with no problem .

When youre on a high-fat diet, you get most of your energy from fat. The process starts off similarly to the way carbohydrate metabolism does: you eat fat and digest it into fatty acids.

But you cant send fatty acids right into your bloodstream because fats and liquids dont mix. The fat would separate out and wouldnt go anywhere .

Fats are still a great and efficient source of fuel your body simply has to be a little more clever in delivering them. Feldman explains it well. Fatty acids cant swim in the bloodstream, he says. They need containers sort of like boats to carry them to cells throughout your body.

Your body does two things to get fatty acids to energy-hungry cells and power your body:

  • It bundles fatty acids into convenient packages of three , which makes them easier to transport.
  • It creates boats to drive the triglycerides around your body. These boats are called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins with a full load of triglyceride passengers are very-low-density lipoproteins , while lipoproteins that have already dropped off their triglycerides are low-density lipoproteins .
  • Does LDL sound familiar? Maybe from your last cholesterol test?

    If Cholesterol Is Necessary Why Do We Have To Worry About How Much We Have

    Having enough cholesterol to meet your needs is important. Having too much cholesterol can cause problems. If your cholesterol levels are high, the condition is called hypercholesterolemia. If your cholesterol levels are low, the condition is called hypocholesterolemia. It is not common to have cholesterol levels that are too low, but it can happen.

    Also Check: Low Hdl Cholesterol Diet

    The Bottom Line On Cholesterol

    So what happened to Brian? After a second heart attack in 2016, hes improved his diet. Ive really made an effort to reduce my carb intake and portion size, he says. But I know that additional adjustments are required given my family history. For now Im monitoring the pedometer on my phone to make sure I keep my daily steps above 10,000.

    When it comes to lifestyle changes, Dr. Artel recommends finding a comfortable balance between healthy habits and enjoying life. People talk about waking up at 5 a.m. every day to run and strictly following the Mediterranean diet, he says. Thats probably not going to last. Just make small, meaningful changes that you know you can live with. Even one of the three cholesterol-lowering tips above could make a big impact on your overall health.

    What Should My Cholesterol Levels Be

    High Cholesterol | What All Patients Need to Know

    Blood cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, often shortened to mmol/L.

    As a general guide, total cholesterol levels should be:

    • 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults
    • 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk

    As a general guide, LDL levels should be:

    • 3mmol/L or less for healthy adults
    • 2mmol/L or less for those at high risk

    An ideal level of HDL is above 1mmol/L. A lower level of HDL can increase your risk of heart disease.

    Your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL may also be calculated. This is your total cholesterol level divided by your HDL level. Generally, this ratio should be below four, as a higher ratio increases your risk of heart disease.

    Cholesterol is only one risk factor. The level at which specific treatment is required will depend on whether other risk factors, such as smoking and high blood pressure, are also present.

    Also Check: Does Shrimp Have High Cholesterol

    Unexpected Signs You Have High Cholesterol

    Your eyes, legs toenails and skin may indicate signs of high cholesterol. If you dont treat high cholesterol it leads to plaque build up in your artery walls, known as atherosclerosis, and limits blood flow. If you are diagnosed with high cholesterol your body has so much bad cholesterol that it doesnt even know what to do with it.

    Lack Of Physical Activity

    Certainly related to the above, insufficient physical activity can also drive LDL higher. The good news, however, is that even modest increases in the amount of exercise you get can help a great deal. Ideally, doctors may want you getting up to 90 minutes a day of physical activity however, even 30 to 45 minutes regularly can be helpful.

    At bare minimum, the surgeon general recommends that adults get 2.5 hours of moderate exercise every week. This can include:

    • Biking
    • Swimming

    Read Also: Potatoes And Cholesterol

    Cholesterol Chart For Adults

    According to the 2018 guidelines on the management of blood cholesterol published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , these are the acceptable, borderline, and high measurements for adults.

    All values are in mg/dL and are based on fasting measurements.

    Total cholesterol

    Your doctor may recommend a plan of treatment for high cholesterol that includes lifestyle modifications and potentially medication. This will vary based on factors like other medications you may be taking, your age, sex, and general health.

    Here are some medications more commonly prescribed for high cholesterol:

    Medications can also be used to treat contributing factors to cholesterol like triglycerides. These may be used in addition to some of the medications above.

    Cholesterol And Heart Disease: Understanding The Connection

    Home Remedies for High Cholesterol

    For years, it had been believed that theres more or less a straight line between cholesterol and heart disease but recent research suggests that this relationship may be more complex.

    A Minneapolis Heart Foundation study, published in April 2017 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found that many people who have heart attacks donthave high cholesterol. The link between cholesterol and heart disease is weak, says Dr. Roberts, who places a large portion of the blame for the persistence of that link on pharmaceutical advertising for statin drugs. Statins dolower cholesterol levels, she says, but atherosclerosis still progresses due to factors like age, poor diet, smoking, and so on.

    In addition, a review of studies of cholesterol and cardiovascular disease published in August 2015 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that no rigorous connection could be drawn between dietary cholesterol intake and the risk of CVD.

    In contrast, the results of long-term research, published in September 2017 in the journal Circulation, concluded that statin use in men with high LDL cholesterol who had no other risk factors for heart disease reduced their rates of coronary heart disease death, cardiovascular death, and all-cause mortality by 28 percent over 20 years.

    Furthermore, a study of more than 400,000 people published in December 2019 in The Lancet found a strong link between non-HDL cholesterol and long-term risk of cardiovascular disease.

    Read Also: Does Canned Tuna Have Cholesterol

    How Do I Know What My Ldl Level Is

    A blood test can measure your cholesterol levels, including LDL. When and how often you should get this test depends on your age, risk factors, and family history. The general recommendations are:

    For people who are age 19 or younger:

    • The first test should be between ages 9 to 11
    • Children should have the test again every 5 years
    • Some children may have this test starting at age 2 if there is a family history of high blood cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke

    For people who are age 20 or older:

    • Younger adults should have the test every 5 years
    • Men ages 45 to 65 and women ages 55 to 65 should have it every 1 to 2 years

    What Can Affect My Ldl Level

    Things that can affect your LDL level include

    • Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level rise
    • Weight. Being overweight tends to raise your LDL level, lower your HDL level, and increase your total cholesterol level
    • Physical Activity. A lack of physical activity can lead to weight gain, which can raise your LDL level
    • Smoking.Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL cholesterol. Since HDL helps to remove LDL from your arteries, if you have less HDL, that can contribute to you having a higher LDL level.
    • Age and Sex. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women’s LDL levels tend to rise.
    • Genetics. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High cholesterol can run in families. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia is an inherited form of high blood cholesterol.
    • Medicines. Certain medicines, including steroids, some blood pressure medicines, and HIV/AIDS medicines, can raise your LDL level.
    • Other medical conditions. Diseases such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS can cause a higher LDL level.
    • Race. Certain races may have an increased risk of high blood cholesterol. For example, African Americans typically have higher HDL and LDL cholesterol levels than whites.

    Also Check: Does Shrimp Raise Your Cholesterol

    How To Use Fenugreek Seeds For Cholesterol

    Easy steps

  • Take two ounces of fenugreek seeds daily, along with water.
  • Alternatively,

    • Take some leaves of fenugreek seeds and add them to your salad every day.
    • You can also use these seeds as spices for various recipes.
    • You can add the leaves of fenugreek seeds in your recipes as herbs.

    Note- I recommend soaking the seeds overnight so that the bitter taste goes away.

    The leaves of fenugreek are not bitter you can use them in whatever quantity you want. They come along with pleasing taste and aroma.

    Also Read: Heart Attack Symptoms Warning Signs Never Ignore

    How High Is Too High

    Bad Cholesterol (LDL) is NOT Cholesterol and Is NOT Bad! â Dr.Berg

    Most health professionals are taught that the higher the HDL cholesterol, the more protective it is for your heart health. However, some specialist doctors are beginning to question this.

    Very high levels of HDL have been reported to speed up the process of atherosclerosis, where the arteries become clogged up with fat, suggesting that at very high levels HDL doesnt do its normal job of clearing fat from the arteries.

    Current recommendations for healthy levels of HDL cholesterol

    • 1.2mmol/L or above in women
    • 1.1mmol/L or above in men

    Our HEART UK experts say the protective effect of HDL cholesterol appears to reach its maximum at roughly 1.4mmol/L, and higher levels may not provide extra protection.

    Over 2.3mmol/L, HDL may behave more like LDL cholesterol and raise the risk of disease, according to current research. This is especially important for women leading up to after the menopause.

    Don’t Miss: Are Mussels High In Cholesterol

    Orange Juice For Bad Cholesterol

    Orange Juce naturally reduce bad cholesterol. Orange juice is rich in vitamin c and flavonoids. Drinking two glasses of plant sterol-fortified orange juice per day can lower the cholesterol level by up to 11% of the total.

    You do not need to make plans to lower your cholesterol levels drink two glasses of sterol-fortified orange juice per day, and you will see a gradual increase of good cholesterol and a decrease in bad cholesterol levels.

    So load up your kitchen with orange juice and make it a habit to drink at least 750 ML of orange juice in a day if your medical reports are showing your cholesterol level higher than the normal range.

    Apple Cider Vinegar For Bad Cholesterol

    How to reduce bad cholesterol in body with ACV? Yes, From high blood pressure to upper respiratory infections, apple cider vinegar is used to treat many human bodies problems.

    Apple cider vinegar is one of the best home remedies for the treatment of high cholesterol.

    Well, I know the taste is not good, but you can add it to some juices like apple grape or any other fruit juices and make the taste better for a better taste. This remedy starts showing improvements in your cholesterol level in approx one month.

    Easy steps

    Also Read: Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Uses in Daily Life

    Don’t Miss: Is There A Lot Of Cholesterol In Shrimp

    What Are Normal Levels Of Cholesterol

    Normal levels of cholesterol are different depending on your age and sex. These guidelines show desirable total, non-HDL,LDL and HDL levels by age and sex.

    Table 1: Target cholesterol levels by age and sex

    Age and sex

    cholesterol

    cholesterol

    People aged 19 years and younger Men aged 20 years and olderWomen aged 20 years and older

    The table above spells out the numbers for normal cholesterol levels. The table below shows you cholesterol levels that are higher than normal. High cholesterol numbers vary by age group and sex, and may be different for those who have heart disease. These guidelines represent high cholesterol numbers for those who do not have heart disease.

    Table 2: High total, non-HDL and LDL cholesterol levels by age and sex

    Age and sex
    People aged 19 years and younger

    Borderline: 170-199 mg/dL

    High: Greater than or equal to 200 mg/dL

    Borderline: 120-144 mg/dL

    High: Greater than or equal to 145 mg/dL

    Borderline: 110-129 mg/dL

    High: Greater than or equal to 130 mg/dL

    High: Greater than or equal to 239 mg/dL

    Near optimal or above optimal: 100-129 mg/dL

    Borderline high: 130-159 mg/dL

    Very high: Greater than 189 mg/dL

    High: Greater than or equal to 239 mg/dL

    Near optimal or above optimal: 100-129 mg/dL

    Borderline high: 130-159 mg/dL

    Very high: Greater than 189 mg/dL

    LDL cholesterol levels

    If you do not have heart disease or blood vessel disease, and you are not at high risk for developing heart disease, the optimal number is less than 100 mg/dL.

    Triglycerides

    Fenugreek Seeds For Bad Cholesterol

    Pin on Bad Cholesterol

    If you are interested in knowing, how to reduce cholesterol without medication then fenugreek seeds are right choice. Fenugreek seeds come with some components that reduce the absorption of cholesterol by the body, which comes from the rich in fats.

    Fenugreek seeds are rich in minerals like calcium, selenium, and zinc. Also, fenugreek seeds are loaded with vitamins A, B, and C.taking fenugreek seeds daily can also reduce the risk of heart attack by 25%.

    Recommended Reading: Shrimp Cholesterol Good Or Bad

    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.

    RELATED ARTICLES

    Most Popular