Cholesterol: Link with Heart Disease

Cholesterol is an essential fat required by both humans and animals. It is integral for the production of cell membranes and the transportation of essential fats through the blood. The problem arises when the deposit of cholesterol exceeds the desired level, mainly through our wrong eating habits. As the accumulation of cholesterol increases, they begin to get deposited in the walls of the arteries functioning in the coronary system. This build-up gradually takes the form of a plaque which further makes the arteries narrow and thick. This hampers the reach of oxygenated blood to the heart. In case this condition is not well diagnosed and treated at the right time, the chances of the occurrence of numerous heart problems like angina pain, heart attack, strokes. In fact, according to experts, when the heart is completely devoid of oxygen supply owing to completely blocked vessels and arteries, the person may experience a life threatening heart attack.
The complete or partial blockage of the arteries and vessels is known as Arteriolosclerosis. In this condition, the heart has to pump harder to release blood through the blocked arteries to the rest of the body. This increases blood pressure over the time. You have to fallow certain health tips to prevent cholesterol related diseases.

Cholesterol Related Heart Disease: Treating the Condition

High cholesterol is regarded as the main contributor coronary diseases among humans. In order to treat the condition, doctors may prescribe a few drugs from the series of specialized drugs available in the market. One of the most commonly prescribed drugs is Lipitor, which is primarily a statin. This drug significantly restricts the release of cholesterol by the liver. Further, the same drug also reduces the level of bad cholesterol or the low density lipoprotein inside the blood. On the other hand, other drugs, especially fibrates, work significantly at increasing the level of High Density Cholesterol to counter the effect of LDL. It has been found that when the level of HDL cholesterol increases in the body, the presence of triglycerides and LDL cholesterol naturally decrease.
Apart from medicinal treatments, there are numerous therapeutic lifestyle changes recommended to lower the presence of total cholesterol in the body. One must change the dietary habits from consuming rich and heavy foods to light and balanced food type. The intake of fresh and green leafy vegetables in strongly recommended. Furthermore, exhaustion of fats through physical exercises is another way of countering high cholesterol. At last, herbs like Psyllium encourage the body’s capacity to absorb cholesterol in an efficient way.

Cholesterol: Diagnostic Procedures

Unlike other ailments, the condition of high cholesterol does not have any evident physical symptoms. Therefore, doctors recommend conduction of cholesterol tests, after every certain interval, to people crossing the age of 20. Cholesterol levels can be simply detected with the help of an inexpensive blood test. This test yields the measure of total cholesterol as well as its three different components, namely, Low density lipoprotein, High density lipoprotein and triglycerides. The level of cholesterol from this test helps the doctor to analyze if the person is at risk for conditions like hypertension, atherosclerosis, heart attack, blood clots, and strokes. In this test, the person may be asked to remain empty stomach for at least 12 hours before the scheduled time of the test.
Additionally, a specialized lipoprotein test may also be conducted to precisely examine the level of all three kind of cholesterol. This test is often recommended by the doctors apart from the simple blood test to determine the total level of both bad and good cholesterol in the body.

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