There are certain behavioral and lifestyle risk factors as well as unchangeable risk factors for heart disease. Your gender, age and family history are contributory factors that cannot be undone. High cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, weight, diabetes and a sedentary lifestyle are factors that you can do something about. High cholesterol is a direct contributor to having a heart attack, because LDL cholesterol can build up inside your arteries. A healthy lifestyle, including lowering your cholesterol, can keep your blood flowing normally.
LDL Cholesterol
LDL stands for low density lipoprotein, but is more commonly known as "bad" cholesterol. LDL carries cholesterol through the bloodstream and delivers it to the various tissues in your body, which need it for functions ranging from cell repair to hormone production. This necessary process can turn into a negative if excess LDL enters your bloodstream because the excess can lodge in your arteries, where it turns into a hard plaque. Ideally, your LDL cholesterol levels should be maintained under 100 mg/dL of blood. LDL levels are considered high if they are at or above 160 mg/dL.
Significance
A heart attack occurs when the arteries that deliver oxygen to your heart become occluded. Oxygen is necessary for work and your heart is one of your hardest working muscles. When oxygen supply is limited or completely cut off, the resulting heart attack can permanently damage your heart tissue or even result in death.
Progression of a Heart Attack
Atherosclerosis is the term used to describe the buildup of plaque inside your arteries. It begins when your arterial walls become damaged. This happens all the time and can occur when something as small as the turbulence from your blood flow breaks down the lumen, or the inside lining of your artery. This injury prompts white blood cells to respond in order to fix it. LDL sticks to the site, which prompts macrophages, a type of white blood cell, to ingest the oxidized LDL cholesterol. When macrophages ingest LDL cholesterol, they turn into a foam cell, making a larger buildup and attracting more LDL. This cycle eventually attracts blood platelets. In an attempt to neutralize the condition, the platelets release a fibrous substance that forms a hard plaque-like buildup that narrows the artery and hardens its walls. This is atherosclerosis.
Signs and Symptoms
If you know you are at a high risk for having a heart attack, you should be aware of the signs that one is happening. The most common heart attack symptom is chest pain. This can feel like pressure or squeezing and has been described as feeling like an elephant is sitting on your chest. Other signs include shortness of breath; pain in the upper arm, neck, jaw; and cold sweats or nausea.
Lifestyle Modifications
Lowering your cholesterol can be as simple as eating a healthy diet low in cholesterol and saturated fats and getting regular exercise. A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol and low in fruits and vegetables contributes to an accumulation of LDL cholesterol. Your cholesterol intake should remain under 300mg per day. Regular physical activity can also lower your LDL cholesterol. To obtain cholesterol lowering benefits, you should get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day.
References
- American Heart Association: Risk Factors and Coronary Heart Disease
- American Heart Association: LDL and HDL Cholesterol
- "Exercise Testing and Prescription"; David C. Nieman; 2007
- American Heart Association: Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: High Blood Cholesterol
