High Cholesterol a Major Risk Factor for Heart Disease

Why Does High Cholesterol Have Such A Bad Reputation?

Although the body needs cholesterol, excessive amounts of LDL Low Density Lipoprotein or VLDL Very Low Density Lipoproteins are very dangerous.

These cholesterol fatty deposits tend to stick to the arterial walls and begin a gradual buildup of plaque. This plaque narrows the arteries inhibiting the blood flow which is bringing oxygen to the heart muscle. When the heart muscle is starved for oxygen angina occurs. Angina is a painful symptom of heart disease.

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At times these cholesterol fatty deposits that are narrowing the arterial walls rupture. When this occurs it causes blood clots that block the blood flow to the heart muscle. When the blood flow to the heart gets blocked it causes a heart attack and death.

Heart attacks caused by coronary artery disease are the leading cause of death. There are over 1,500,000,000 heart attacks a year in the United States alone, over 50% of them end in death.

The Primary Causes Of High Cholesterol LDL's Are

• Diet- eating too much saturated fat, cholesterol, and trans fats
• Weight - excessive weight and obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle- which causes an increase in weight which causes an increase in LDL, and a reduction in HDL
• Heredity- genes play a major role as high cholesterol runs in families
• Stress- there are many studies showing that stress a major risk factor for heart disease increases LDL cholesterol levels

High LDL and low HDL is considered to be one of the main cardiac risk factors for heart disease which include

• Cigarette smoking
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Diabetes

You Can Control Your Cardiac Risk Factors! Through adopting a healthy lifestyle which includes:

• Diets and proper nutrition eating heart healthy foods such as soy, almonds and nuts that are known to lower cholesterol levels
• Losing weight and keeping the weight off through any type of diet program that fits your personality. and start losing weight the healthy way.
• Exercising doing cardiovascular exercises and resistance exercises
• Quitting smoking
• Reducing stress through various relaxation techniques
• Controlling your blood pressure, through diets exercises, relaxation, vitamins and medications if the need arises
• Reducing your cholesterol levels through exercise, vitamins, natural cures, and statins if prescribed to do so by your doctor

All of the risk factors can and should be controlled and reduced!

Start by getting your cholesterol lower, what ever you do to better your health you shall never regret.

Disclaimer: The information that I am writing on these pages are for educational purposes only, and are intended to inspire us to learn more about heart disease. By doing so we can learn how to eliminate the leading cause of death, and create a better life for us and our children. I am only a heart patient, in no way should what I am writing, replace any medical advice given to you by your doctors.