Feb 13 2009
Understanding the effect of cholesterol
Cholesterol is a type of fat. It is attained from food that you eat. Besides, your liver is responsible for making cholesterol.
If cholesterol level exceeds the normal limit in your body, it gets deposited in your arteries. This is called hardening of arteries (or atherosclerosis).
Just imagine a pipe in the kitchen sink. With an increase in grease in the pipe, it eventually gets blocked. It’s the same case with cholesterol. It narrows your arteries and decreases blood flow through them. There is decreased blood supply to vital organs like brain, kidney and ofcourse, your heart.
There is an on-going controversy regarding the effect of cholesterol on the heart. Some people are in favor of it and some people are against it. It is important to know that cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, but not the only one!
A blood test will reveal your cholesterol levels.
Normal value is <200 mg/dL.
200-239 mg/dL is considered borderline-high.
Any value equal to or more than 240 mg/dL is considered high.
Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to a protein. This compound is called a lipoprotein.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are the “bad” cholesterol. Why is it bad? Because it has more fat, less protein.
High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are the “good” cholesterol. Why is it good? Because it has more protein, less fat.
Higher levels of HDL protect you from a heart disease.
Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood which increases your risk of a heart attack.
So, the next time you get a blood test done, make sure you look at these values and see if they are in the normal range or higher (All lab reports mention the reference range for that particular area).
Here’s a video which shows the food items that lower “bad” cholesterol.
If you can’t view it, please follow this link:
