Is Cholesterol Bad For Diabetes

How Can High/bad Cholesterol Be Prevented In Diabetes

With lifestyle changes and intensive statin therapy, we can significantly affect the rate of cardiovascular disease in people with diabetes. Even with LDL-C levels at borderline high and not greater than 160 mg/dl in most diabetics, these borderline numbers have been shown to significantly affect heart health in people with diabetes.

S You Can Take To Help Manage Your Blood Fats

• You should have your blood fat levels checked normally once per year. Things might be a bit different at the moment though. Read our information on what care to expect during the coronavirus pandemic.
• Ask for support to lose weight if you are living with obesity or overweight
• Eat a healthy diet based on more fruit and vegetables, nuts, oily fish and wholegrains. See our 10 tips for healthy eating with diabetes.
• Keep a check on how much alcohol you drink . Read more about alcohol and diabetes.
• If you smoke, get support to quit smoking
• Keep active and sit less. We have lots of advice on this in our article on exercise and diabetes.

Your GP can also refer you to a dietitian who can help. They will advise you to cut down on saturated fat and increase your intake of fibre.

There are natural foods you can eat to help protect your heart and products on the market that claim to lower your cholesterol but do they work?

We looked into the best foods to eat and looked at the products you can buy.

Patient Education: High Cholesterol And Lipids

INTRODUCTION Hyperlipidemia refers to increased levels of lipids in the blood, including cholesterol and triglycerides. Although hyperlipidemia does not cause symptoms, it can significantly increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including disease of blood vessels supplying the heart , brain , and limbs . These conditions can in turn lead to chest pain, heart attacks, strokes, and other problems. Because of these risks, treatment is often recommended for people with hyperlipidemia. This topic reviews the risk factors for coronary artery disease , the types of lipids, and when cholesterol testing should begin. The treatment of high cholesterol is discussed separately. “.) RISK FACTORS FOR CORONARY DISEASE In addition to hyperlipidemia, there are a number of other factors that increase the risk of coronary artery disease: Diabetes mellitus, type 1 and 2 ” and “Patient education: Diabetes mellitus type 2: Overview “) Hypertension “) Cigarette smoking Family history of coronary disease at a young age in a parents or sibling Gender Men have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than women at every age Age There is an increasing risk of cardiovascular diseaContinue reading > >

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Treatment And Lifestyle Changes

These are important for managing your blood sugar levels and preventing complications.

• Changes to diet these are important for anyone with diabetes. Changes to your diet can include anything from following a generally healthy diet to having to carefully restrict your intake of certain types of food. Speak to your GP or dietitian about this and services available in your area.
• Physical activity keeping active can help to stabilise your blood sugar and lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. It can also help you lose weight if you’re overweight.
• Losing weight if you are overweight this is very important for managing diabetes.
• Medications many people will eventually need medication to control their blood sugar levels. Diabetes UK have more information.
• Insulin some people will need insulin to control their blood sugar levels even for Type 2 diabetes. Learn more from Diabetes UK.

Additional Lipid Markers Of Cvd Risk

The TC/HDL-C ratio is an index of CVD risk and is considered to be a traditional determinant or risk marker when considering the need for lipid-lowering therapy. An elevated TC/HDL-C ratio is usually associated with a low HDL-C and/or elevated TG, both of which are commonly seen in individuals with diabetes and often in individuals without diabetes, even in the face of an optimal LDL-C . The elevated TC/HDL-C ratio is considered to represent a marker of lipid-derived, residual risk in treated patients, but it is not considered a target of therapy. Even so, this dyslipidemia is relatively responsive to healthy behaviour interventions and improvements in glycemic control, interventions that should be considered in all instances anyway.

Evidence suggests that fibrate therapy may help reduce the microvascular complications associated with diabetes , and it appears as if these beneficial effects are not solely due to the lipid changes induced by this drug class . For example, the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes study found that long-term treatment with fenofibrate reduced albuminuria and slowed estimated glomerular filtration rate loss over 5 years, despite initially and reversibly increasing plasma creatinine . Furthermore, if residual hyper-TG is high enough to impart a risk of pancreatitis, fibrates may be warranted.

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Myth: All Cholesterol Is Bad For You

Fact: Some types of cholesterol are essential for good health. Your body needs cholesterol to perform important jobs, such as making hormones and building cells. Cholesterol travels through the blood on proteins called lipoproteins. Two types of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout the body:

• LDL , sometimes called bad cholesterol, makes up most of your bodys cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol raise your risk for heart disease and stroke.
• HDL , or good cholesterol, carries cholesterol back to the liver. The liver then flushes it from the body. High levels of HDL cholesterol can lower your risk for heart disease and stroke.

When your body has too much LDL cholesterol, it can build up in the walls of your blood vessels. This buildup is called plaque. As your blood vessels build up plaque over time, the insides of the vessels narrow. This narrowing can restrict and eventually block blood flow to and from your heart and other organs. When blood flow to the heart is blocked, it can cause angina or a heart attack.

What Are The Warning Signs Of Heart Attack And Stroke

• pain or pressure in your chest that lasts longer than a few minutes or goes away and comes back
• pain or discomfort in one or both of your arms or shoulders, or your back, neck, or jaw
• shortness of breath
• indigestion or nausea
• feeling very tired

Treatment works best when it is given right away. Warning signs can be different in different people. You may not have all the listed symptoms.

Women may experience chest pain, nausea, and vomiting feel very tired and have pain that spreads to the back, neck, throat, arms, shoulders, or jaw. People with diabetes-related nerve damage may not notice any chest pain.

If you have angina, its important to know how and when to seek medical treatment.

• weakness or numbness of your face, arm, or leg on one side of your body
• confusion, or trouble talking or understanding
• dizziness, loss of balance, or trouble walking
• trouble seeing out of one or both eyes
• sudden, severe headache

If you have any one of these warning signs, call 9-1-1. You can help prevent permanent damage by getting to a hospital within an hour of a stroke.

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What In The World Is Red Yeast Rice

Weird as it sounds red yeast rice is a fungus that grows on rice. Asian countries use it for a food coloring and a medication. It has become popular in western countries because it tends to stop cholesterol production in the liver. It has sort of a natural form of statin in it, like the statin medications used to lower cholesterol. If you are one of the people that has trouble taking statins due to side effects, or dont want to take them for one reason or another, ask your doctor if red yeast rice might help you lower your cholesterol.

In one study, subjects that got muscular pain while on statins were able to take 1800 mg of red yeast rice twice a day for 24 weeks. The average drop in LDL-C was 35 mg/dl. In China, one study showed a 30 percent reduction in cardiovascular risk with long term use of red yeast rice. In the US, its a supplement so its not FDA regulated. Keep that in mind when taking any supplements in the US.

Always talk with your doctor, and have him or her to check your liver enzymes before starting red yeast rice supplements.

What To Eat If You Want To Maintain Healthy Levels Of Cholesterol

Keep in mind the following while devising a diet plan for maintaining the recommended levels of cholesterol in your blood:

• Include a lot of whole grains in your diet. Go for healthy options such as brown rice and quinoa.
• You should include a lot of nuts, fish, and avocado in the daily diet
• Include green, leafy vegetables and fruits in the diet. The fruits and vegetables are usually high on the total fiber intake and as such, these can help lower the levels of bad cholesterol.
• You can also opt for cooking with olive oil or canola oil as these oils have mono saturated fats instead of trans fat and saturated fats. This makes them a healthier option.

The following foods are strongly recommended

Oats

Beta-glucan found in oats is known to absorb most of the LDL which helps in promoting the level of good cholesterol in the body.

Salmon

Salmon is a good source of omega-3 fats and replacing all your saturated fats with food which is rich in Omega-3 will do a great deal in helping you to avoid bad cholesterol.

Tea

Black tea is known to reduce the lipid profile of the body by around 10% in just a matter of a few weeks. This, in turn, helps to lower the total amount of bad cholesterol in the body.

Chocolate

Beans

These are a great source of food if you want to promote the health of your heart. Beans are a rich source of fiber and that is how they are a very good source of promoting good cholesterol while preventing bad cholesterol at the same time.

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Pick Up A Variety Of Fresh Fruits And Vegetables

In addition to the fiber from whole grain products, make sure to get a variety of fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables. Fiber helps lower your cholesterol, and it also keeps blood glucose steady, helping to lower it over time. So pile on the fiber. Use fruits and veggies to snack on during the day to up your intake of these nutrient and fiber loaded foods. You can get cheaper fruits and vegetables that are in season at your local farmers market.

Do Statins Make Diabetes Worse

In previous years, there was a bit of controversy over whether or not statins might increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. The discussion usually referenced a meta-analysis, or large review of all the available studies, that showed that statins could increase the risk slightly. In other words, the review found that taking a statin could lead to one additional case of diabetes per 255 patients taking a statin for 4 years. Research continues in this area in pursuit of a definite answer.

As we mentioned above, statins have many beneficial effects in addition to reducing cholesterol.

For this reason, healthcare providers have not changed their recommendations for statin therapy. They believe the powerful effects of statins far outweigh any risks. Its always wise, however, to keep an eye on blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C levels after starting a statin for the first time.

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My Hdl Cholesterol Is Low What Can I Do To Raise It

If your HDL cholesterol is below 50 if youre a woman or below 40 if youre a man, there are some lifestyle changes that may help give it a boost. These include:

• Being more physically active
• Losing 5% to 10% of your weight if you are overweight
• Stopping smoking
• Drinking alcohol in moderation
• Cutting back on refined carbohydrates

There isnt enough evidence to recommend taking medication to raise HDL cholesterol. And keep in mind that having a high HDL cholesterol doesnt override having a high LDL cholesterol you still need to focus on getting your LDL to a safe level.

Confusions About Cholesterol And Type 2 Diabetes Resolved

By Elizabeth: Dietitian

There are quite a number of myths and quite a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of cholesterol. Some say its the cause of one of our deadliest conditions in the worldheart disease. While some say it doesnt matter whatsoever. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

The information Im about to share will help provide some clearer answers to the whole cholesterol debate, particularly in regards to diabetes. And like all things we do here, well explain it in easy to understand language and back everything we say with evidence.

Keep in mind that even much of the research shows contradictory results and may be distorted, in part, by research bias and interpretation of results something that can occur quite frequently in science.

One thing to be aware of up front is that diabetes is highly correlated with heart disease meaning, if you have type 2 diabetes, your risk of heart disease increases. Therefore, cholesterol is a key laboratory component doctors look at to assess your individual risk.

To understand cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes and potential linkages, lets first take a look at some of the physiology behind all this. Once you understand how your body works, it will help you understand cholesterol better.

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How Is High Cholesterol Treated

Controversial medication Statins lower the amount of cholesterol in the blood, although not all people with diabetes agree with their use. Statins are available on prescription. Statins include:

• Atorvastatin
• Rosuvastatin
• Simvastatin

Some research indicates that taking a statin if you have diabetes lowers the chance of heart or circulation problems whether you have high LDL cholesterol or heart problems However, many people with diabetes disagree with statin use a whole topic in its own right.

What Is Heart Disease

Heart disease includes several kinds of problems that affect your heart. The term cardiovascular disease is similar but includes all types of heart disease, stroke, and blood vessel disease. The most common type is coronary artery disease, which affects blood flow to the heart.

Coronary artery disease is caused by the buildup of plaque in the walls of the coronary arteries, the blood vessels that supply oxygen and blood to the heart. Plaque is made of cholesterol deposits, which make the inside of arteries narrow and decrease blood flow. This process is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Decreased blood flow to the heart can cause a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to the brain can cause a stroke.

Hardening of the arteries can happen in other parts of the body too. In the legs and feet, its called peripheral arterial disease, or PAD. PAD is often the first sign that a person with diabetes has cardiovascular disease.

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Aspects Of Cholesterol Problems

In and of itself, cholesterol is not a bad thing: It’s present in every cell in the body and does a lot of goodsupporting the production of hormones, digestion, and converting sunlight into vitamin D. Approximately 75 percent of the cholesterol present in the blood is produced by the liver, but the rest is derived from the diet, which is why making dietary changes is an effective way to keep cholesterol levels healthy.

There are two types of cholesterol:

• Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is regarded as “bad cholesterol.” It’s the soft, waxy stuff that can accumulate in the bloodstream and interfere with the flow of blood.
• High-density lipoprotein the so-called “good cholesterol”helps keep blood vessels clear by carrying LDL cholesterol to the liver for disposal.

In addition to cholesterol, the levels of triglycerides in the body are important to heart health and so usually are considered a key aspect of a person’s overall blood cholesterol “profile.”

Cholesterol Level Guidelines for Adults 20 and Older
Type

Add More Fruits And Vegetablesincorporate Into Every Meal

We know youve heard it before but bears repeating: you can probably benefit from increasing the amount of fruit and vegetable servings you eat daily. All the dietary fiber in fruits and vegetables can help lower your blood cholesterol, increase your sense of fullness, and reduces the risks for many types of cancer, too. So try to build your meals around the fruits and vegetables, aiming for at least five but really 9 servings are neededyes NINEservings daily,1 according to the United States Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

So you realize that you are not getting nearly enough fruits or vegetables, and want to boost your intake. To begin, always plan your meal by starting with the fruit or vegetable and build from there. Do you feel like having cranberries? Then maybe goal with oatmeal. If you want eggs for breakfast, pull out the vegetables you have in the fridge, chop them up and make a frittata or prepare your eggs your way and have some stir-fried or roasted veggies on the side.

Here are some other ways to boost your produce intake:

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Myth: I Cant Do Anything To Change My Cholesterol Levels

Fact: You can do many things to improve your cholesterol levels and keep them in a healthy range!

• Get tested at least every 5 years .1,2 Learn more about cholesterol screenings.
• Make healthy food choices. Limit foods high in saturated fats. Choose foods naturally high in fiber and unsaturated fats. Learn more about healthy diets and nutrition at CDCs nutrition, physical activity, and obesity website.
• Be active every day. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Learn more about physical activity basics and tips.
• Dont smoke or use tobacco products. Smoking damages your blood vessels, speeds up the hardening of the arteries, and greatly increases your risk for heart disease. If you dont smoke, dont start. If you do smoke, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. Learn more about tobacco use and ways to quit at CDCs smoking and tobacco use website.
• Talk with your health care provider about ways to manage your cholesterol if any medicines are given to you to manage your cholesterol, take them as they are prescribed. Learn more about medicines to lower cholesterol.
• Know your family history. If your parents or other immediate family members have high cholesterol, you probably should be tested more often. You could have a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia .