Cholesterol in excess has long been the culprit of fatty deposits lining the arteries. This is a dangerous condition that causes the arteries to become clogged and hardened. Eventually they will become so narrow that blood cannot flow through freely and heart disease, heart attack or stroke is the result.
Until recently reducing cholesterol and controlling blood pressure were believed to be the primary factors that impacted this condition of the arteries. It is now known that heredity may have a greater influence than previously believed on where these deposits occur within the arteries. Controlling cholesterol and blood pressure are still vital, but this relatively new information can help doctors do better screening of patients with a family history of heart disease and focus their attention on where they are most likely to develop the plaque build up. (more…)
There are several traits we inherit from our family that can impact our ability to control or reduce cholesterol. A number of conditions that affect cholesterol and can cause high cholesterol are classified and grouped together under the umbrella of familial lipid disorders (FLD).
Some of the FLDs that cause the body to produce too much cholesterol in one form or another are called Familial Combined Hyperlipidemia or Hypertriglyceridemia. These both manifest themselves with the trait of very high triglyceride levels. They are most common in families that battle obesity from one generation to the next. (more…)
If you are not sure about how important it is to reduce cholesterol, then you should consider that high cholesterol will ultimately lead to heart disease. It is estimated that heart disease takes a life every 33 seconds! If that isn’t serious enough, then consider what life would be like after a stroke.
High cholesterol is a leading cause in both heart disease and stroke. If they don’t kill you they can certainly leave you with a less than desirable quality of life. Reducing cholesterol is one way to minimize the risks significantly.
When you fail to reduce cholesterol the excess builds up in the arteries and causes them to become narrow and hardened. Depending on where in your body this happens will determine whether you suffer a heart attack or stroke. If the vessels leading to brain become so narrow that blood cannot flow freely then you can suffer from a stroke. This can leave you partially paralyzed or unable to remember how to do everyday tasks, even how to speak. (more…)
Calcification is a process where plaque in the arteries gets progressively harder. It then adheres to the cholesterol build up that is already there and causes a worsening of the condition known as atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. What scientists are unsure of at this point is how much of atherosclerosis is from the cholesterol build up and how much of it is calcium. Either way, reducing cholesterol is believed to reduce the rate of hardening and narrowing of the arteries thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.
New tests related to the impact of calcium to the arteries are designed to measure the amount of calcium versus regular plaque that is the result of failure to reduce cholesterol intake. As the tests become more conclusive, it is hoped that they will become a routine part of screening for risk factors to heart disease. (more…)
It can be even more difficult to reduce cholesterol if you are one of the rare individuals with a recessive genetic condition called Tangier disease. People with Tangier have extremely low levels of good cholesterol, which is the High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. HDL helps reduce total cholesterol by cleansing the build up of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol from the body. LDL cholesterol is also referred to as bad cholesterol.
The reason people with Tangier disease have low levels of HDL cholesterol is because of a mutation to the ABCA1 gene. Even though ABCA1 affects HDL production, it is unclear how this works and more research is needed exactly why it happens. (more…)
The personal price you pay in terms of health is great when you fail to reduce high cholesterol. But the poor health and increased threat of heart attack affect the wallet proportionate to the increased risk for heart disease.
The cost of a first time heart attack or stroke occurring in people who failed to reduce their cholesterol was more than $13 billion considering both lost wages and hospitalization. For recurring heart attacks or fatal strokes the cost continues at $13 billion per year. Other indirect costs bring that total up to $53.6 billion per year according to an article in the Journal of the American Heart Association. (more…)
Cholesterol levels are an important health marker. When cholesterol is excessively high it can lead to a wide range of coronary diseases. One study conducted on men between the ages of 40 and 84 also concluded that cholesterol levels, especially the ratio between total cholesterol and the so called “good” high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, can negatively impact blood pressure.
Hypertension, the study found, was more common in the men who did not treat cholesterol. After 14 years 1,019 men out of the 3,110 in the study now had high blood pressure after not being treated for high cholesterol and with no prior history of blood pressure problems. (more…)
Failure to lower cholesterol can lead to a dangerous and even deadly occurrence known as plaque rupture. A build up of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol on the artery walls is the first step in creating conditions within the arteries where plaque can rupture and release fat into the blood stream. This then can further clog already narrow arteries or cause a clot to happen by lodging the clot in an arterial opening.
When arteries become clogged with plaque due to high cholesterol, the walls become hardened. This condition is referred to as atherosclerosis. The arteries also become narrow and make it difficult for blood to flow through. When they become completely blocked a stroke or heart attack is the end result. This condition itself is dangerous, but it also leads to the possibility of plaque rupture. (more…)
Homocysteine is in short an amino acid. It has been linked to people with cardiovascular disease. In other words, high levels of homocysteine in the blood are found in people with heart disease. Elevated levels of homocysteine have also been linked to arterial disease as is true of high levels of cholesterol. If lowering homocysteine levels and lower cholesterol were to occur the risk of arterial disease would also diminish. It is important for those with high cholesterol to have their homocysteine levels checked as well since there would be an increased risk of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
Failing to lower cholesterol by itself can lead to serious problems with the arteries as the plaque from excessive amounts of cholesterol in the arteries forms on the artery walls and blocks the free flow of blood. Blood needs to bring oxygen to the other organs of the body and it can’t do that efficiently if there is too much blockage in the arteries. (more…)
Doctor’s orders to lower cholesterol may include instructions to lower those triglycerides in the blood as well. Triglycerides are the most common form of fat found in foods, body tissues and blood plasma. Three fatty acids along with glycerol, a complex carbohydrate, are what make up triglycerides. Excess triglycerides are stored in the body as fat cells. They are carried through the blood stream and remain in the body until hormones release them as energy when needed.
The trouble with high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels is that it can lead to a build up in the arteries and a host of coronary diseases. You can have high triglycerides without high cholesterol and vise versa. The levels of each are measured in the same way through a test of blood plasma. The most accurate results are from samples taken after at least 12 hours of fasting from food. (more…)
