What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat your body needs to make cells, vitamin D, hormones, and bile, which is a substance that helps you digest fat. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs to perform these vital functions.
However, some people make more cholesterol than they need, causing an increase in blood cholesterol levels. The excess cholesterol in your blood may combine with other substances and form plaque, which sticks to the walls of your blood vessels, causing them to narrow and harden.
High blood cholesterol increases your risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, or a heart attack.
What causes high cholesterol?
You may be at risk of high cholesterol if it runs in your family. However, in most cases, lifestyle choices lead to an increase in blood cholesterol levels, such as:
- Unhealthy diet filled with foods high in saturated or trans fat
- Lack of exercise
- Smoking
Diabetes and obesity also increase your risk of high cholesterol. Your risk of developing high cholesterol also goes up as you get older.
What are the different types of cholesterol?
There are different types of cholesterol found in your blood. The types include:
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
- Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)
LDL and VLDL are considered bad cholesterol and play a role in the development of the plaque that causes the narrowing in your blood vessels. HDL is considered the good cholesterol because it carries cholesterol out of your blood and to your liver for processing and elimination.
What can I do to improve my cholesterol?
When it comes to cholesterol, the team takes a very proactive approach and focuses on lifestyle changes to help improve your numbers. They recommend diet modification to lower the bad cholesterol and exercise to increase the good cholesterol. The team prefers treating high cholesterol by taking a more natural approach, as opposed to prescribing medications.
In most cases, high cholesterol is preventable. Making changes to your lifestyle early may help prevent the buildup of plaque along your blood vessel walls, and the related consequences.
In certain instances, medications are also used together with lifestyle changes to reduce the bad cholesterol and reduce the risk for heart attack or stroke.
High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease, but it’s something you can control. For management of your cholesterol, contact Premier Cardiac and Vascular today or request an appointment online.
