Cholesterol lowering can be achieved in many ways. The first choice is always lifestyle modification with diet and exercise. A regular exercise program will raise the protective cholesterol (HDL) and lower the harmful cholesterol (LDL) while...
Statins, medications prescribed to lower cholesterol levels, are the best selling group of medications in America, according to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide. Statins lower total cholesterol levels by lowering low-density...
To understand the way cholesterol works, it is important to understand the two types of cholesterol in your body. Low-density lipoprotein, also known as LDL or "bad" cholesterol, is the portion of your cholesterol that lodges in your artery walls...
Lowering LDL, or "bad," cholesterol and raising HDL, or "good," cholesterol reduces your risk of heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Many vitamins have been investigated for improving cholesterol levels, but niacin in particular...
Wild yam may sound like a delicacy you serve for Thanksgiving dinner, but make no mistake—this herb is not the same as a sweet potato. The wild yam plant has purported medicinal properties that have been used to treat colic, high cholesterol...
Hypercholesterolemia, or high cholesterol, plays a key role in the development of atherosclerosis and the progression of coronary artery disease. Current guidelines indicate the importance of lowering LDL cholesterol to combat these effects. To...
Lifestyle changes such as changing your diet, exercising regularly and losing weight are enough to bring cholesterol levels into a healthy range, for some people. If you have medical conditions or family history that is concerning, your doctor may...
Red yeast rice (RYR) is yeast grown on rice. In Chinese medicine, RYR is used as a supplement to manage cholesterol levels. Many of the compounds in RYR behave like cholesterol lowering medications called statins and can benefit you if you suffer...
Gemfibrozil is one of many prescription-based cholesterol medications. Although most people who need to lower their bad cholesterol achieve better results with other medications, like statins and nicotinic acid, gemfibrozil may be better tolerated...
Research as of 2011 shows that high cholesterol is not a known cause of thyroid disease. On the contrary, research shows that thyroid disease, specifically hypothyroidism, is a cause of high cholesterol. According to "European Journal of...
A number of pharmaceutical therapies are available to reduce plasma cholesterol, mainly LDL cholesterol. Therapies include the fat breakdown inhibitors, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, cholesterol synthesis inhibitors and bile acid binding...
Low-density Lipoprotein cholesterol is better known as LDL cholesterol and universally considered to be the "bad" cholesterol out of the two types that exist in the body. Keeping LDL cholesterol levels at a healthy level has become something of a...
You may be able to naturally prevent your lipids from rising. More than 102 million adults in the U.S. had high cholesterol in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 35 million of these people had levels high enough...
High cholesterol gets all the attention, but with good reason. Although it performs important health functions, too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease; however, low cholesterol presents dangers that many people may not be aware of. Your...
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance your body needs, as the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute explains. It is found in all cells of the body, and is necessary for your body to function properly. Its purpose is to form cells and produce...
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that circulates in your blood. Although cholesterol is needed by the body, when its level is too high, it raises your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. One possible approach to lowering blood...
Vitamin B3, or niacin, is an essential nutrient required by the body to metabolize carbohydrates from foods into energy. It is also important for the function of the nervous system and digestive system and for healthy eyes, skin and hair. Though...
Ideally, your LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, should be less than 100. When your LDL cholesterol gets over 160, it is considered high, increasing your risk for developing heart disease. A high LDL cholesterol level means you may have increased...
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is your bad cholesterol. This type of cholesterol is responsible for clogging your arteries and increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. Your body is capable of producing all the cholesterol you need to...
Cholesterol is not only eaten but also produced by the body at a rate of 1000mg per day according to the American Heart Association. This fatty substance is an essential part of every cell in the human body. Elevated cholesterol levels can signify...
According to the American Heart Association, 106.7 million Americans age 20 and older have total blood cholesterol levels of 200 milligrams per deciliter and higher. Improving diet, losing weight and engaging in physical activity are the...
Cholesterol is an important building block for the body, and aids in a variety of functions, such as the digestion of food, the utilization of nutrients and the repair of cell membranes, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center....
If you lower your cholesterol, you lower your risk for developing heart disease. It is the main indicator of your risk for heart attack, heart disease and stroke. There are two types of cholesterol that should concern you: LDL and HDL. The...
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is also known as bad cholesterol. It is transported from the blood to the liver. When the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood is high, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the...
Millions of Americans use prescription medications to lower cholesterol. Some of the most common cholesterol-lowering medications used belong to a drug group know as statins. Although often effective, statin medications can have unwanted effects...
Your heart's got a hard job: It beats ceaselessly, pumping blood to every part of your body. If you've got high cholesterol, your heart has to work even harder to keep you alive, and that can be very dangerous indeed. In the late 1960s, scientists...
Consuming garlic can reduce cholesterol and blood pressure levels, according to the textbook "Basic Diet and Nutrition Therapy." Reducing cholesterol and blood pressure is beneficial for people suffering from hypercholesterolemia and hypertension....
Low-density lipoprotein is a cholesterol carrier in the blood. When LDL builds up in the inner walls of the arteries, it can narrow the walls, potentially causing heart attacks or strokes. Having low LDL cholesterol levels is a preventive marker...
Diet therapy is a personalized eating program designed to address a particular medical problem or to help you lose weight for health reasons. The program is called therapy because rather than simply cutting calories, a diet therapist "prescribes"...
