1. Your Body Needs Cholesterol
Mention the word "cholesterol" and fear strikes at the heart of over 97 million Americans who are at risk for having heart disease or stroke. But, did you know that cholesterol is an important part of your body? Cholesterol is used by a number of glands to create steroids and sex hormones. It is also used by the liver to create bile that aids in digestion. But most important, cholesterol is used by the body to manufacture cell membranes and other important body tissues. Without cholesterol, it would be impossible for the body to function.
2. Not All Cholesterol is Bad
When referring to cholesterol, there are actually several important types that depend on "lipoproteins" to do their jobs. Lipoproteins are special water-soluble protein coatings that are used to transport cholesterol throughout the body. The most important lipoproteins to monitor are Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) and High Density Lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is bandied about as the "bad" cholesterol because of its high relationship to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries and heart disease. On the other hand, HDL is often referred to as the "good" cholesterol and is believed to offer some protection against cardiovascular disease. However, more important is the ratio between your total cholesterol to HDL or your LDL to HDL ratio. Optimal ratios are 3.5 or less and 2.5, respectively.
3. The Optimal Values for Cholesterol
If you're concerned with your cholesterol levels (and you should be), it's important to manage not only the "total cholesterol" level but also the LDL and HDL levels. According to the American Heart Association, a desirable level for total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL. Your HDL or "good cholesterol" should be at least 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women. Your LDL level should be less than 130 mg/dL. However, what's more important are the relative levels. For instance, a person might have a low HDL level. But, if they also have low total cholesterol and LDL levels, then their overall risk may not be that high. Each component should be considered separately.
4. Look at All of Your Risk Factors
As you can imagine, your cholesterol levels are not the only thing to consider when evaluating your overall risk for heart disease. Just as important are obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, familial history for heart disease, a sedentary lifestyle and cigarette smoking. Each one of these can eclipse all of the work you're doing to correct the others. The good news is that you can approach several of them at the same time. While you can't do much about who your parents are, you can make simple modifications to your diet to lower your cholesterol while beginning an exercise program. It's easier than you think.
5. Choose Your Parents Wisely
For the majority of people with high cholesterol levels, the treatment is simple: get more exercise, lower the amount of fat you consume and cut back on foods with high levels of cholesterol. But, for approximately 1 out of 500 Americans who inherit the gene for "familial hypercholesterolemia," the consequences are more serious. People who are born with the FH gene cannot process LDL with their liver. The result is a significantly higher risk for a heart attack before the age of 40. Young children diagnosed with the gene are at the same risk for heart disease as their normal, middle-age counterparts. The good news is that the disease can be managed with all of the usual lifestyle modifications, with the addition of cholesterol-lowering medications.
