Keeping your cholesterol levels in check is an important part of an overall plan to reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. While your body needs some cholesterol, too much of it in your bloodstream can lead to disease. Your best defense is to understand the role cholesterol plays in your health and then take steps to manage it and reduce the risk factors you can.
You get cholesterol from the foods you eat and from your body; your liver produces it. It is a waxy substance that is essential for maintaining the health of your cells, in the production of some hormones as well as for supporting other bodily functions. The amount of cholesterol in your body is partly related to your diet, your weight and your level of physical activity. However, genetics also play a role, as does your age and nationality. While you cannot control all of these risk factors, you can make healthy lifestyle choices to reduce your risk.
Warning
According to the American Heart Association, having a level of cholesterol that is too high is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Extra cholesterol sticks to the walls of your arteries, causing plaque buildup and a condition called atherosclerosis, in which your arteries have hardened and become more narrow due to the plaque buildup. This restricts the amount of blood an oxygen that can reach your heart and brain. In addition, pieces of plaque can break off and block the arteries. Both situations can starve your heart and brain for blood and oxygen. If this happens to the arteries that supply your heart, you can have a heart attack. If it involves the arteries that supply the brain, you can have a stroke.
Types
Not all cholesterol is bad. There are two main types. Carriers called lippoproteins transport the cholesterol through your body. There are low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Because LDL encourages your body to store the excess cholesterol, it is considered the "bad" kind. HDLs encourage your body to excrete the excess cholesterol, so they are the "good" guys. While you do want to lower your LDL level, you actually want to raise your HDL level. It is also important to note that your total cholesterol count includes the level of triglycerides in your blood. Triglycerides are another kind of fat that can contribute to heart disease, and you want to keep this level low as well.
Considerations
You can have high levels of cholesterol without having any warning signs or symptoms. A simple blood test is required to determine if you cholesterol levels are dangerously high. This test can provide your total cholesterol level and your LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels.
The National Cholesterol Education Program states that your risk for disease rises when your levels become borderline high--a total cholesterol level of 200 to 239 mg/dL. When your total cholesterol level reaches 240 mg/dL or more, your risk for heart disease is considered high. You are also at greater risk if your LDL levels become borderline high, which is 130 to 159 mg/dL; high, between 160 and 189 mg/dL; or very high, which is 190 mg/dL and up. Your risk for disease also increases when your level of triglycerides reaches borderline high, 150 to 199 mg/dL, or high, a level of 200 mg/dL and up. To help protect against heart disease even further, it is recommended to raise your HDL level to 60 mg/dL or higher.
Prevention/Solution
To help lower your cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for heart disease, you may need to change your lifestyle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that you maintain a healthy weight, get regular exercise, stop smoking and take medication if necessary. It is also important to eat a healthy diet that is low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. In addition, try to incorporate more fruits, vegetables and whole grains into your diet. You can visit the CDC website for detailed information on how to make healthy lifestyle changes.
