All recommendations for a healthy lifestyle focus on reducing dietary fats to reduce the blood cholesterol levels. When cholesterol levels are reported, they appear in the laboratory report under various headings: total cholesterol; high-density...
High cholesterol leads to heart disease, which is why control of cholesterol levels is important for health. Lifestyle changes can help prevent raised cholesterol levels and reduce them if you've been diagnosed with hypertension. Cholesterol...
Understanding cholesterol is extremely important, especially if you are at risk for heart disease. Getting your total cholesterol level under control is a key component to ensuring a healthy life.
High triglyceride levels are often linked to high blood cholesterol levels. These two substances are fatty in nature and are needed for the normal functioning of the body in small amounts. Lipid disorder is the medical term used to describe a...
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is also known as "bad" cholesterol when compared to counterpart high-density lipoprotein. LDL cholesterol is considered the negative side of cholesterol, because excess amounts of LDL cholesterol results...
High cholesterol is a problem that plagues many Americans in 2011. Unfortunately, obesity is also a chronic problem among Americans. Both of these health issues can drastically raise your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Unfortunately, in many...
Cholesterol is a fat-like compound that is naturally produced in your body. Cholesterol helps the body function normally, but too much can lead to health complications. High cholesterol levels can lead to plaque buildup in the walls of your...
According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, milk thistle has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal herb. While this flowering herb is used primarily as a treatment for liver disease, it is also a popular...
Cholesterol itself is not a health problem. This substance is intended to improve your health; it rebuilds cells and produces hormones. The problems begin when your levels rise abnormally high -- 160 mg/dL or more. Once your doctor detects...
Cholesterol is a wax-like fatty substance that your body needs in order to make certain hormones and maintain the growth of cells. Your liver is capable of producing all the cholesterol your body needs, but many people also get large amounts of...
Cholesterol is a fat-like molecule. It is an important component of the cell membrane, which is the envelope or wall surrounding and protecting the cell. In the membrane, it helps protect against temperature changes. It also serves as a precursor...
Reducing cholesterol levels also reduces your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Cholesterol is a natural, waxy substance created by the liver to protect nerves, produce cell tissue and produce some hormones, according to Family Doctor, a website...
Hypercholesterolemia is the medical term for high cholesterol. High cholesterol occurs when the amount of total cholesterol in your blood exceeds 240 or if the LDL is higher than 40. Cholesterol readings consist of a total cholesterol reading,...
Simvastatin is a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, commonly known as a statin. It is available with a doctor's prescription only and is used to reduce the levels of bad LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total cholesterol. It may also raise HDL...
High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and pain in the chest called "angina." This is all due to the formation of a waxy substance called plaque that builds up in your arteries and causes a restricted flow of blood to your...
The amount of cholesterol, or lipoproteins, in your body is linked in many ways to the state of your health. Your high cholesterol levels may just be the cause those chest pains you've had. A 2000 study by Scott M. Grundy, published in the...
When you have your cholesterol levels checked by your doctor, the test usually reveals your HDL and LDL cholesterols, along with total cholesterol levels and triglyceride level. Your HDL, or good, cholesterol count should be high because it helps...
You might know the basics about cholesterol: There is both good and bad, you need to change your eating habits and medications are available to help lower it when dietary tweaks aren't enough. If only cholesterol were this simple. You must know...
Coconut oil belongs to a group of tropical vegetable oils used for cooking. It may also serve as an ingredient in beauty and skin care products. As MayoClinic.com reports, a large percentage of the fatty acids in coconut oil may be classified as...
The number of individuals who suffer from obesity is at epidemic proportions, which appears to be related to the standard Western diet, which is high in fat and calories. By improving your nutritional intake, you can reduce your risk of suffering...
Diabetes is a chronic disease that affects the way your body uses and produces blood glucose. Regardless of the type of diabetes you have, the disease indicates a high amount of glucose in the blood, which can lead to serious health complications....
Cholesterol is an important molecule in the body. It helps to form hormones such as the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, as well as hormones that regulate the body's mineral levels. It also helps protect cell membranes, which cover and...
Cholesterol is necessary to help to create sex hormones and build cell membranes that your body relies upon to function properly. When components of cholesterol rise, usually due to obesity, inactivity, poor eating habits and certain medical...
Niacin, niacinamide, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide are terms used synonymously to refer to vitamin B-3. However, each has a slightly different chemical structure yet similar vitamin function in your body. Niacin converts to nicotinamide once...
Eating 1,000 calories a day constitutes a very-low-calorie diet that may result in rapid weight loss. Since a deficit of 3,500 calories translates to a pound of weight loss, restricting your daily calorie intake severely can lead to several pounds...
The body needs some cholesterol to function properly and not all types of cholesterol are harmful. Some forms of cholesterol such as HDL -- high density lipoprotein -- has been shown to protect against heart disease. When planning a diet to manage...
Achieving and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels is a gift you can give your body. Before you give this gift, however, you must first understand what a healthy cholesterol reading is and why it is significant. Just as curing a sinus infection...
Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, notes the American Cancer Society. It can develop as a result of the gradual formation of polyps in your colon....
Cholesterol is a waxy substance needed for cell health and hormone production. Cholesterol is produced naturally in the body and is also obtained from animal sources. Your body needs very little cholesterol from the foods you eat, according to the...