Posts Tagged ‘Cholesterol And Heart Disease’

Many of us know what cholesterol and heart disease are. What most of us don’t know is that there are arguments whether cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease. Some experts say that cholesterol is one of the main cause of heart disease while there are others who think otherwise.

Experts from the Framingham Heart Study have determined that high blood cholesterol is one of the factors for a coronary heart disease or CHD. The result of their study showed that the ones who have a higher cholesterol level is the most likely he will have a coronary heart disease or CHD. Coronary heart disease is unusual at low cholesterol levels. A connection between high blood cholesterol and heart disease was also confirmed by another group of experts. Their studies showed that lowering the total LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) levels drastically reduces coronary heart disease. Recently, a series of trials of cholesterol using statin drugs showed that lowering the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol greatly reduces the chance of experiencing a heart attack, angioplasty (a bypass that requires surgery) and dying of coronary heart disease-related causes.

What are the risk factors that increases the risk of developing heart disease? The risk factors are the condition that one has. Even though some risk factors can be modified some risk factor can not be changed. All in all, the more risk factor that you have the more chances you will be experiencing a heart disease. Here are some of the risk factor that can not be modified:

* Age (55 and above for female while 45 and above for male)

* Family history (parents or sibling who died of a heart disease at the age stated above)

Here are some known risk factors that one can change:

* High total cholesterol and high LDL (bad) cholesterol

* Low HDL (good) cholesterol

* Smoking

* High blood pressure

* Diabetes ( the risk of developing a heart disease is high if you are diabetic)

* Physical inactivity

* Obesity or overweight

It is advisable to go to a physician if you are not sure if you have a high blood cholesterol.

Although some expert agree that the high blood cholesterol and heart disease is somewhat connected; there are also a few expert who tend to disagree that too much animal fat or high cholesterol and heart disease go together. They argued that there is no such thing as “bad” or “good” cholesterol. They believe that mental stress, physical activity and change of body weight may influence the level of the blood cholesterol and that a high blood cholesterol is not dangerous but only reflects an unhealthy condition. There lots of factors that some experts disagree with each other. Whatever causes of high cholesterol and heart disease are. The only sure thing is… to live a healthy life.



By: T J Madigan

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Heart disease is a potential threat to millions of people worldwide. A killer disease like heart attack can strike anytime, and threaten people with improper diet, lifestyles and certain genetic preconditions. Coronary Heart Disease afflicts about 14 million Americans.

Cause Of Heart Disease

Heart disease is caused by a buildup of fat and tissue in the arteries, the vessels that carry blood from heart to various parts of the body. The arteries are clogged with the buildup that leads to improper blood flow. This causes heart disease since the heart cannot receive oxygen carried by blood. This type of hardening of arterial walls is known as arteriosclerosis.

Risk Factors

There are several risk factors for heart disease. They include cholesterol, tobacco, fat containing diet and sedentary lifestyle. Obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure can also cause heart disease. Heredity is another major predictor of heart disease. If you lead a stressful life, then chances of heart disease are also high.

Risk factors are classified into modifiable and non-modifiable depending on whether you can reduce the risk by controlling the risk factors. Heredity, age and gender are non-modifiable risk factors, while cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure are modifiable risk factors.

Are The Risk Factors Good Predictors Of Heart Disease?

Heart disease is caused by the interplay of various risk factors, including cholesterol. Cholesterol is one of the major predictors of heart disease. Heredity, as mentioned, is another; people whose family members have been afflicted by heart disease should go for regular screening.

Symptoms Of Heart Disease

Heart disease may be known, as a “silent killer” since the onset of the heart attack can often be fatal. However, there are certain symptoms you should watch out for.

1. Pain in the chest.

2. Pain in upper abdomen.

3. Panting after strenuous activity.

4. Nausea and vomiting.

5. Dizzy spells.

Timely medical attention can spell the difference between life and death.

Preventing Heart Disease

Preventing heart disease is easy and a few precautions can go a long way in reducing your chances of getting heart attack. Keeping bad cholesterol levels low is very important. Traditional risk factors can identify people most at risk, so it is important to consult a medical practitioner and be sure that risk is minimized.

Lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on occurrence of heart disease. If you do not lead an active life, chances of heart disease go up multiple times. Stress is another major cause of heart disease. In order to prevent heart disease, you need to be physically active and have a low calorie, high fiber diet. Smoking and too much alcohol can also make heart disease a difficult condition to treat.

Tests For Heart Disease

Your doctor may ask for tests to confirm heart disease if he suspects you fall in the high-risk category. The tell tale signs physicians look for in a routine check include irregular heartbeat and murmurs. Tests include coronary angiography, ECG or electrocardiogram and CT scan. Your medical practitioner will recommend the best test. A chest x ray might also be recommended.

Heart disease can be prevented through changes in lifestyle and by reducing mental stress. Proper diet, exercise and a stress free lifestyle go a long way in countering one of the leading killers of the modern age. Modern medicine has also found better ways to cure heart disease, even for those prone to it due to hereditary and other factors. If you have crossed the age of 30 and think you are in the moderate or high-risk category, you should visit your medical practitioner today and get a thorough check up done.



By: James Madisonic

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Cholesterol and heart disease has long been the favorite subjects of most medical studies. Almost a hundred of researches and studies have been conducted just to find out the real link between cholesterol and heart disease. It’s nice to know that most of these studies have succeeded in finding the connection between these two interesting concepts.

So what do the studies have found out about cholesterol and heart disease?

The link between the two is explained on the notion that high level of cholesterol in the body may lead to heart disease. The question is how high exactly must the cholesterol be in the body to lead to heart disease? Well, this is what many studies have found out:

Cholesterol is highly needed in the body for the organs to function properly. It is a fat-like substance that serves a number of useful functions. For instance, the liver needs it for its proper functioning. It also helps to maintain the cellular structures on the body and cholesterol is highly capable of transmitting the nerve impulses. However, it is important to note that all of these mentioned useful functions can only be performed with an exact level. If the amount of fat exceeds from what the body needs to function properly, the tendency is certain complications like heart disease may occur.

Note that the fat substances travel around your body in tiny clumps of fat and protein known medically as lipoproteins. There are two kinds of this though: the HDL or good cholesterol, and the LDL or bad cholesterol. The LDL is the one that carries cholesterol where it is needed, and the HDL is the one that carries leftover cholesterol back to the liver. Now, the connection between the two occurs when a high level of cholesterol is carried around your system. Heart disease will occur once the LDL cholesterol exceeds on its normal amount. It will travel through the arteries and since the LDL is high, it tends to build up in the coronary arteries forming hard lumps known as plaques. The plaque is actually what makes the arteries rigid and narrower. If this happens, the flow of the blood and oxygen to the heart will be altered. Chest pain can be felt, and if the arteries are completely blocked, heart attack develops.

For such reasons, people who are afraid to develop risks of heart disease are advised to lower their cholesterol level. According to certain studies that address the link between cholesterol and heart disease, the best way to reduce cholesterol and prevent heart disease is to adopt a healthy diet. Note that the link between the two is made possible with poor diet. So it is then wise to eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight. Just eat foods that are good to the heart, such as vegetables, legumes, and certain types of fish, low fat dairy milk, and a lot more. Also, stop smoking as it will only contribute to unhealthy high cholesterol values. Finally, do some healthy exercise to allow your heart to pump more blood with less effort. That way you can break the link between cholesterol and heart disease.



By: Joann Cheong

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