Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that the body needs to function normally. Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines, and heart. The body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat. It takes only a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs.
If a person has too much cholesterol in the bloodstream, the excess may be deposited in arteries, including the coronary arteries of the heart, the carotid arteries to the brain, and the arteries that supply blood to the legs. Cholesterol deposits are a component of the plaques that cause narrowing and blockage of the arteries, producing signs and symptoms originating from the particular part of the body that has decreased blood supply.
Cholesterol Symptoms:
High cholesterol is a risk factor for other illnesses and by itself does not cause symptoms. Routine screening blood tests may reveal elevate cholesterol levels in the blood.
The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines suggest that everyone aged 20 years and older should have their blood cholesterol level measured at least once every 5 years. It is best to have a blood test called a lipoprotein profile to find out your cholesterol numbers.
Treatment of Cholesterol
Drug treatment is used along with with dietary changes to lower cholesterol levels. Several types of medications are available for cholesterol lowering, including statins, bile acid sequestrants, niacin, and fibric acids. Your doctor can help decide which one is best for you.
Statins have proven to be very effective and well-tolerated in most patients and are regarded as the treatment of choice for lowering "bad" cholesterol levels. These include aorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor). The frequency of side effects with these medications is generally very low, but nausea, gas, constipation, and abdominal cramping may occur. Headache, muscle pain, and liver problems have been reported in some cases. Statins work in the liver to interrupt the formation of cholesterol from the circulating blood.
Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a newer drug that lowers LDL cholesterol by working in the digestive tract to reduce the absorption of cholesterol. It is sometimes prescribed along with a statin.
Bile acid sequestrants lower LDL levels and are used alone or in combination with statin drugs. This type of drug includes cholestyramine (Questran), colestipol (Colestid), and colesevelam (Welchol). Bile acid sequestrants can be unpalatable and cause gastrointestinal effects (such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and constipation).
Niacin (nicotinic acid), a B vitamin, lowers LDL and triglyceride levels, and is very effective in raising HDL cholesterol levels. Side effects include hot flashes, nausea, indigestion, gas, and high blood sugar. A newer medication, Advicor, combines niacin to boost "good" cholesterol and lovastatin to lower "bad" cholesterol.
Fibric acids are used mainly to treat high triglyceride and low HDL levels. Three are currently available in the United States: gemfibrozil (Lopid), fenofibrate (Tricor), and clofibrate (Atromid-S). Fibrates are generally well tolerated but occasionally cause nausea, bloating, gas, and the formation of gallstones. Fibrates are often used in conjunction with another drug, such as statins, to reduce LDL levels.
Managing your diet and weight, and increasing your physical activity can help bring low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol down to normal levels.
Diet. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps to lower your blood cholesterol level. The diet recommended by the NHLBI National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol meal plan that calls for less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat and less than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day.
Foods that are low in saturated fat include fat-free or 1 percent dairy products, lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, whole grain foods, and fruits and vegetables. Foods high in cholesterol should be limited, including liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and full-fat dairy products. The NCEP diet recommends only enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and avoid weight gain.
The NCEP recommends eating 10-25 grams of dietary fiber per day, particularly soluble fiber. Certain fruits and vegetables such as oranges, pears, brussels sprouts and carrots, as well as oats, dried peas and beans do not contain dietary cholesterol. They also help your body excrete cholesterol before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Must read about Supplements for Heart Disease
Eating one tablespoon per day of either plant stanols or sterols, which help prevent the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Sterols are found in vegetable oils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, beans and other plant sources. Stanols can be found in some of the same sources. Some food products, such as Benecol Spread, have been fortified with stanols or sterols and can help lower cholesterol.
Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and increases your cholesterol. Losing weight helps lower your "bad" cholesterol and total cholesterol levels.
Physical activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity helps lower your "bad" cholesterol, raises your "good" cholesterol levels, and helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes a day, especially if you have high triglyceride and/or low HDL cholesterol levels and are overweight with a large waist measurement.
Also read about Hypertension Herbal Remedies
Removes Heart Blockage or more read on goherbalsupplements.com
Cholesterol Symptoms:
High cholesterol is a risk factor for other illnesses and by itself does not cause symptoms. Routine screening blood tests may reveal elevate cholesterol levels in the blood.
The National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines suggest that everyone aged 20 years and older should have their blood cholesterol level measured at least once every 5 years. It is best to have a blood test called a lipoprotein profile to find out your cholesterol numbers.
Treatment of Cholesterol
Drug treatment is used along with with dietary changes to lower cholesterol levels. Several types of medications are available for cholesterol lowering, including statins, bile acid sequestrants, niacin, and fibric acids. Your doctor can help decide which one is best for you.
Statins have proven to be very effective and well-tolerated in most patients and are regarded as the treatment of choice for lowering "bad" cholesterol levels. These include aorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor), and simvastatin (Zocor). The frequency of side effects with these medications is generally very low, but nausea, gas, constipation, and abdominal cramping may occur. Headache, muscle pain, and liver problems have been reported in some cases. Statins work in the liver to interrupt the formation of cholesterol from the circulating blood.
Ezetimibe (Zetia) is a newer drug that lowers LDL cholesterol by working in the digestive tract to reduce the absorption of cholesterol. It is sometimes prescribed along with a statin.
Bile acid sequestrants lower LDL levels and are used alone or in combination with statin drugs. This type of drug includes cholestyramine (Questran), colestipol (Colestid), and colesevelam (Welchol). Bile acid sequestrants can be unpalatable and cause gastrointestinal effects (such as bloating, gas, abdominal pain, and constipation).
Niacin (nicotinic acid), a B vitamin, lowers LDL and triglyceride levels, and is very effective in raising HDL cholesterol levels. Side effects include hot flashes, nausea, indigestion, gas, and high blood sugar. A newer medication, Advicor, combines niacin to boost "good" cholesterol and lovastatin to lower "bad" cholesterol.
Fibric acids are used mainly to treat high triglyceride and low HDL levels. Three are currently available in the United States: gemfibrozil (Lopid), fenofibrate (Tricor), and clofibrate (Atromid-S). Fibrates are generally well tolerated but occasionally cause nausea, bloating, gas, and the formation of gallstones. Fibrates are often used in conjunction with another drug, such as statins, to reduce LDL levels.
Managing your diet and weight, and increasing your physical activity can help bring low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol down to normal levels.
Diet. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps to lower your blood cholesterol level. The diet recommended by the NHLBI National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol meal plan that calls for less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat and less than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day.
Foods that are low in saturated fat include fat-free or 1 percent dairy products, lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, whole grain foods, and fruits and vegetables. Foods high in cholesterol should be limited, including liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, and full-fat dairy products. The NCEP diet recommends only enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and avoid weight gain.
The NCEP recommends eating 10-25 grams of dietary fiber per day, particularly soluble fiber. Certain fruits and vegetables such as oranges, pears, brussels sprouts and carrots, as well as oats, dried peas and beans do not contain dietary cholesterol. They also help your body excrete cholesterol before it is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Must read about Supplements for Heart Disease
Eating one tablespoon per day of either plant stanols or sterols, which help prevent the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Sterols are found in vegetable oils, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, beans and other plant sources. Stanols can be found in some of the same sources. Some food products, such as Benecol Spread, have been fortified with stanols or sterols and can help lower cholesterol.
Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease and increases your cholesterol. Losing weight helps lower your "bad" cholesterol and total cholesterol levels.
Physical activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity helps lower your "bad" cholesterol, raises your "good" cholesterol levels, and helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes a day, especially if you have high triglyceride and/or low HDL cholesterol levels and are overweight with a large waist measurement.
Also read about Hypertension Herbal Remedies
Removes Heart Blockage or more read on goherbalsupplements.com
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