Step 2 : Sorry, you're gonna have to do a little math.
The connection between cholesterol — a waxy substance made in your liver and found in blood cells — and heart disease has been known for decades, but your total cholesterol number is only part of the equation. The real key is how much of it is low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called "bad cholesterol," and how much is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" kind.
LDL cholesterol can build up in your arterial walls, causing plaque, which can rupture in the arteries and result in blood clots and possibly heart attacks. A recent study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center indicates that keeping LDL levels low (the longer the better) can protect even people with other risk factors like smoking. Meanwhile, HDL plays the role of crime-fighting superhero to LDL's nasty villain, transporting the bad stuff through the blood to the liver, where it's metabolized and then eliminated.
For most people, total cholesterol should be under 200, with LDL levels no higher than 100 and HDL no lower than 50. If your numbers are in line, doctors recommend retesting your blood every 5 years in your 20s and 30s.
Step 3: Don't be afraid to do drugs
If blood tests show your cholesterol is high, a change in diet and exercise might help (see Step 5 for some suggestions). But in many cases, it's too late or your numbers are too high for these basic steps to help. That's when your doctor may give you a cholesterol-lowering medication, known as a statin, which keeps the liver from producing too much cholesterol. Some doctors have questioned the wisdom of prescribing these drugs, especially for patients who might lower their cholesterol through lifestyle changes. But recent studies show that statins can diminish LDL by as much as 40 percent, slightly raise the level of HDL, and reduce the risk of heart attacks by about 35 percent. This is why many experts say these medications are actually underprescribed. Statins are incredible tools in lowering cholesterol and can keep many people from suffering heart attacks,But there's no question: They're meant to work together with proper diet and exercise
No comments:
Post a Comment