Cholesterol is receiving renowned interest in recent times as a ‘silent killer’. High levels of LDL or ‘Bad’ Cholesterol in your blood could lead to Atherosclerosis or deposition of ‘plaques’ in your arteries. This is a very serious condition that can lead to heart attack, stroke and even death.
All of us know the importance of keeping our cholesterol levels in check!
How do we get Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of ‘fat’ that is essential for many cellular and bodily functions, and the cholesterol we need is produced by our body itself, in the liver. We also receive dietary cholesterol through food items such as daily products, meat and eggs.
What makes your levels go up?
Food rich in Trans Fat: A well balanced, healthy meal will ensure we receive all necessary nutrients in the right content, for carrying out our bodily functions efficiently. But food rich in trans-fat would eventually lead to high levels of cholesterol in your body, leading to conditions such as Atherosclerosis, Stroke and Heart Disease.
Smoking: Research proves that people who are addicted to smoking have a very high risk of elevating their cholesterol levels. It is further validated by the fact that those who quit smoking reduces this risk very significantly.
Alcohol: Another contributor to high cholesterol levels. That is, when taken in excess, alcohol affect the liver, which is the regulatory organ of our bodily cholesterol.
Physical Activity: Regular workout sessions are known to elevate your good cholesterol (or HDL) levels and reduce your LDL cholesterol. Lethargic people are at risk here!
Obesity: Another major contributor for high LDL levels. Obese people are at very high risk of cardiovascular disease caused by high cholesterol levels.
Age: Towards latter stages of life, the risk increases. For men this critical age reaches after 45, where as for women, it’s 55.
Gender: Women are more prone to high cholesterol when they reach menopause.
Heredity: Another uncontrollable risk factor, those with a family history of heart disease are prone to see elevations in their cholesterol levels. This can be controlled somewhat by following strict dietary and exercise regimes.
Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions or diseases are known to affect our cholesterol levels. These include kidney diseases, diabetes, thyroid problems and alcoholism.
How can they be avoided?
Certain risk factors mentioned above are beyond our control (not entirely, but to an extent). These are referred as uncontrollable as their ‘cause’ is beyond our control. They include age, gender, family history and certain inborn medical conditions. But we do know there is a part that is controllable to a certain level, in these factors. That is by avoiding all other risk factors that can trigger the elevation of your blood cholesterol, i.e. by following a healthy diet and exercise plan.
Other controllable factors such as food habits, body weight, smoking and alcohol abuse are within our power to control. So this is the area we need to work on, with determination and strong will power. With the correct knowledge, understanding and awareness, anybody can reduce their risk of high cholesterol. The important point is to practice ‘prevention’, as it is so much more trouble-free than ‘cure’!
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