Believe it or not, cholesterol isn't bad. Some of it is necessary for your body to function. When cholesterol levels are too high (or too low in the case of good cholesterol) problems occur. These aren't small problems either--they're bodily malfunctions that can cost you your life. The major problem with high cholesterol is that is leads to heart disease and can cause strokes and heart attacks. People with high, sustained cholesterol levels may need surgeries and medications with unpleasant side effects. The benefit of lowering your cholesterol is that you can avoid many, if not all, of these interventions.
Reduce Heart Disease Risk
High cholesterol levels are directly related to heart disease, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program. Cholesterol slowly builds in the arteries, leading to coronary artery disease. Once arteries become blocked, blood can't travel through them and begins to clot. If this happens in your brain, it's called a stroke. If it happens in your heart, it's a heart attack. These conditions can be fatal. Reducing your risk for heart disease, or reversing current disease is perhaps the most dramatic benefit of lowering you cholesterol.
Prevent Major Surgery
Interventions for many types of heart disease involve major surgery. Open heart surgery, bypass surgery and angioplasty are just a few examples of major procedures that carry serious risks. Infection, painful recovery and even death can all accompany heart procedures. Aside from their dangers, they're also expensive and require you to take time away from your work and family as you recover. Lowering cholesterol helps cut your risk for heart disease, thereby cutting your risk of major surgery.
Decreased Drug Dependence
If you reduce your cholesterol, you will inevitably reduce your dependence on cholesterol-lowering medications. The most common types of these medications are statins, resins, absorption inhibitors and fibrates. These drugs have side effects like dizziness, muscle weakness, abdominal cramps, constipation, headache and diarrhea. They can also cause sleep problems, according to the medical information website, Family Doctor. As you reduce these medications, or eliminate them, you may also eliminate their side effects.
