Many experts in medical have been trying hard to get the solution to lower bad cholesterol.They have been doing experiments looking for the solution to lower cholesterol, specially for the post menopausal women. This is because Post menopausal women have some health concerns, not the least of which is the need to lower cholesterol. Recent studies of the cholesterol levels in older women seem to indicate that cholesterol is lowered slightly for some older women who undergo Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Unfortunately, still the incidence of heart disease is not as greatly affected – at least not the way they would like.
The specific study examining postmenopausal women, called the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS), was conducted by the National Heart and Lung Institute. It found that the women on HRT had a “modest” drop in the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol. It also raised the High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol which is the good cholesterol. Both raising HDL and lowering LDL cholesterol are important in lowering overall blood cholesterol levels to the desirable range of under 200 mg/dl. (more…)
In the early 1960s people were generally unconcerned about lower cholesterol. However, with heart disease taking an alarming toll on people the cholesterol and heart disease connection became a real topic of concern. The latest research has shown that across the board lower cholesterol readings are appearing in Americans of all ages, but especially in older Americans.
Research conducted between 1960 and 2002 indicates that average cholesterol levels have lowered. For men and women together ages 20 to 74, LDL cholesterol was significantly lower. Total cholesterol dropped from 222 milligrams per deciliter of blood to 203 mg/dL. The greatest drop was seen in those over the age of 50. Older Americans between the age of 60 and 74 saw a 12 percent drop in men’s cholesterol levels (from 232 to 204) and a 15 percent drop in women’s (down from 263 to 223). (more…)
Lowering cholesterol is extremely important for those who have total cholesterol readings of over 200. However, if you are a diabetic the dangers of not lowering your cholesterol are even greater. This is because high cholesterol over time causes a build up of the waxy substance in the arteries and causes them to become dangerously narrow. Diabetics, especially those over the age of 50, also have a high risk of fatty build ups in the arteries in their legs. The combination of cholesterol build up and other fats in the arteries can narrow them to the point they close off completely. When this happens a heart attack or stroke is inevitable.
Much research has been done lately on the impact of statin drugs to lower cholesterol. The drugs work, but come with an array of negative side effects. The medical field and pharmaceutical companies are especially promoting the drugs to diabetics in order to lessen their risk of atherosclerosis or peripheral arterial disease (PAD). (more…)
Controlling weight is definitely a factor in lowering cholesterol. However, there are groups of people with a higher risk of heart disease from uncontrolled cholesterol and those are the people who carry their excess weight around the mid-section. For women especially, being apple-shaped, where they have more body fat from the waist up then in the hips and thighs, put them at a greater risk. Add high triglycerides to the formula and these women have a 4.7% higher risk than other women with the same amount of fat, according to one study of 557 post menopausal women over a 8 ½ year period. The only difference in the risk factors here were where the women had stored their fat.
The lower cholesterol levels for women who are categorized as EWET (Enlarged Waist and Elevated triglycerides) by the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) could be the one factor that helps save their lives. Of course lowering their triglyceride readings is important too, as well as losing weight. Triglycerides are fats in the blood that can accumulate and clog arteries. Elevated levels occur when the body’s ability to respond to insulin is inadequate. EWET is defined as anyone having a waist of at least 35.2 inches and triglycerides of 128 mg/dL or higher. (more…)
Millions of Americans are trying to lower cholesterol using a variety of methods. The reason it is so important is that if they fail to lower cholesterol enough they are at an increased risk for stroke.
A stoke occurs when the blood vessels to the brain become clogged or blocked in some way, usually by high cholesterol. The vessels may also have an added strain from untreated high blood pressure. Either way, the flow of blood puts pressure on the blood vessels eventually causing them to weaken and break. The American Heart Association estimates that 700,000 Americans suffer from new or recurring strokes every year.
When the blood supply to the brain is cut off and stroke occurs symptoms may not be immediate. Unlike a heart attack where there is usually severe enough pain in the chest or arm to be immediately noticed, a stroke can take more time to appear. In fact, the conditions such as not lowering cholesterol or blood pressure can take years and years of building up until they manifest themselves as a stroke. (more…)
There is a connection between lower cholesterol levels and the rate at which prostate cancer occurs and progresses. This is according to a study by Boston’s Children Hospital where evidence is supporting the idea that a low fat and low cholesterol diet can reduce the risk.
Researchers investigated the fact that Western hemisphere men with diets much higher in fat and cholesterol than their Asian counterparts had prostate cancer rates up to 90 percent higher. Experimenting with mice confirmed some of their hypotheses.
Mice were injected with human prostate cancer cells and then fed a high cholesterol diet. The cells multiplied, and upon examination it was found that the outer membranes of the cells held an accumulation of cholesterol. The control group of mice, which were injected with the same number of prostate cancer cells, had fewer and smaller tumors. This group was on a diet much lower in cholesterol. (more…)
There is a connection between lower cholesterol and kidney disease. It has been found that people who have High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) levels that are too low and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) levels that are too high are at a greater risk of developing kidney problems that can lead to a life time on dialysis. In order to reduce the risk kidney disease and heart disease related to high cholesterol, it is important to raise the HDL while lowering the LDL cholesterol.
The major study conducted that pinpoints the connection between kidney disease and high cholesterol was held at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Four thousand patients were followed for 14 years. The results were that those with low HDL and high LDL had reduced kidney function. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that between 10 and 20 million Americans are in the early stages of kidney disease and don’t even realize it because there are few symptoms. What the NIH does know is that controlling diet and increasing exercise, both of which lower cholesterol, that kidney disease can be prevented. Even those in the beginning stages can slow the degenerative process and reduce the risk of the life threatening illnesses associated with poor kidney function. (more…)
Cholesterol levels have a direct relationship on the occurrence of coronary heart disease. Lower cholesterol and you reduce your chances for developing this deadly disease that strikes millions of people each year. Lower cholesterol levels also protect the body from numerous other health problems.
There are different types of coronary heart disease that can develop from high cholesterol. All are the result of cholesterol building up in the coronary arteries, a network of arteries surrounding the heart, and forming a plaque that reduces the flow of oxygen that is vital to the function of the heart. Cholesterol in the arteries that causes them to harden is also called arteriosclerosis. This condition is accelerated in people who smoke, have high blood pressure, diabetes, and/or high cholesterol level
When blood flow to the heart is reduced because of cholesterol a condition called angina develops. This causes chest pain which at times can feel like a heart attack. Angina is also a pre-indicator that there could be other serious heart problems. Rapid contraction of the coronary arteries causes spasms that cause chest pain. (more…)
There are many factors that affect your ability to lower cholesterol. Not all of them are within your control. Age is one such factor that affects cholesterol levels and over which we have no control. However, with diet and exercise, even older people can lower cholesterol.
Men and women are not created equally when it comes to cholesterol. Women, in general, before reaching menopause have lower cholesterol than men their same. An exception to this is found in women with a strong family history of high cholesterol. As women increase in age, their blood cholesterol also increases. Then, by about the age of 60 most women’s cholesterol readings level off to be comparable with men the same age. Finally, women over 65-70 usually have lower cholesterol levels than men of the same age. (more…)
You eat a low-fat, low cholesterol diet. You get plenty of exercise and keep your weight within a healthy range, yet still can’t seem to lower cholesterol. It may just be that your body is pre-programmed to a certain cholesterol level, and even the best efforts can make it difficult to go any lower. There is significant evidence indicating that cholesterol levels are an inherited factor. For this group of people predisposed to high cholesterol, it is going to take some extra work, but lower cholesterol readings are possible.
Studies conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California compared the cholesterol levels in identical twin males who have the same genetic make up. Twenty eight sets of twins were studied by giving one twin from each pairing a low-fat, low cholesterol diet and the other ate as he pleased. One was a disciplined runner while the other got little or no exercise. While the twins who ate better and moved more did have lower cholesterol, it was not as low as it would have been, had they not been genetically inclined toward higher cholesterol levels. (more…)
