Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the blood and the body’s cells. The body needs cholesterol as it’s a building block, but not all cholesterol is good and not all cholesterol is bad.

Which is which?

The low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is considered the “bad” cholesterol and what doctors are looking for when they’re sending you for cholesterol tests. The best way to remember is L is for lower and you want the LDL to be low.

The “good” cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein (HDL). You want this one to be higher. H is for higher and you want the HDL to be high.

Here is a quiz to see how much you know about cholesterol. Why not take it and see how much you know.

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Image: Newscom.com

Post from: Blisstree

Sept: National Cholesterol Education Month

Good cholesterol HDL levels for men should be higher than 40 and 50 for women. When the levels are over 60 it lowers your risk factors for heart disease.

The HDL removes cholesterol from the arteries, taking it back to the liver where it passes from your body.

Bad cholesterol or LDL builds up in the walls of the arteries. The walls of your blood vessels will narrow over time, due to the build-up of the fatty deposits. The fatty build-up will slow the blood flow, eventually causing heart failure.

It is wise to have a complete physical once a year, this will aid in preventing problems such as high cholesterol.

To learn more about cholesterol levels click Understanding Cholesterol.

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Knowing Your Cholesterol Level

Research that has taken place suggest that moderate alcohol consumption my actually be beneficial for your heart. Drinking one drink a day for women or lightweight individuals and two drinks per day for men is suggested. Some examples are 12 ounces of beer or wine coolers, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof liquor.

Some of the benefits of alcohol on your heart are it may raise your good cholesterol level HDL. Alcohol may also help prevent artery damage caused when your LDL is higher then normal. You may also find that your blood pressure will become lower.

Drinking the recommended amounts of alcohol may also prevent blood clots, which is a benefit in some cases, but there is also an increased risk of bleeding. This is why you need to discuss alcohol consumption with your health care provider.

Drinking alcohol can be harmful for some people. Those who have heart failure, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, diabetes, arrhythmia (irregular heart rhythm), a history of sudden cardiac death or stroke, obesity, high triglycerides, or are taking medications should speak to their doctor before drinking alcohol. Also, if you are pregnant or have a history of alcoholism, you should not drink alcohol.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/heart-disease-alcohol-your-heart

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Alcohol And The Heart

Cholesterol be warned… they are on a rampage and their coming for you. An international study of over 20,000, yes 20,000, people allowed researchers to identify 7 new genes that influence blood cholesterol levels and confirmed 11 other genes that were previously thought to influence high lipids.

Of the seven new variants, two influenced HDL, one influenced LDL, and three influenced triglycerides, which are found in fat and in the bloodstream and like LDL, are associated with increased risk of heart disease. One variant influenced triglycerides and LDL.

Will this bring us that much closer to new medications and treatments for high cholesterol? Will this aid in fighting heart disease? Yee ha science!

via Science Daily and University of Michigan

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7 Genes Identified In High Cholesterol

Lydia Buchtmann of Food Standards Australia New Zealand:

There’s not a huge percentage of trans fat in the Australian diet. We’ve been carrying out a formal review with dietary modelling, and the preliminary findings have been that 0.6 per cent of our total kilojoules come from trans fat, which is well below the World Health Organisation’s maximum limit of 1 per cent.

Australian health experts want their citizens to focus more on saturated fats, the main cause of high LDL “bad” cholesterol, found in butter, cheese, fatty meats, etc.

By the way, more power to you if you’re vegetarian like Jul at Veggie Chic.
The Australian, December 16, 2006
Veggie link via mipmup.

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Australians Don’t Need to Worry About Trans Fats

The problem worsened a bit after I had [older daughter] Renee and I had to take medication,” she reveals. “I have a high risk of familial heart disease even though I exercise regularly and eat right. It’s why I agreed to front the campaign because the yogurt helps to reduce cholesterol naturally.

My dad’s heart problems were a big shock to the family – I was worried sick. I just wanted to be with him 24/7. He’s a lot better now, but he had to rest and change his lifestyle. Thank God he survived.

My grandfather – his father – died of a heart attack at just 40, so it runs in the family. But it is preventable. I also have a medical once a year for insurance. It’s not so much that I’m health-conscious as that I live my life normally while being aware of the illness.

I eat sensibly instead of any faddy diets and that works for me – I’ve always been a similar weight within about 10lbs.

I’m very good at eating fruit, vegetables, lots of chicken and fish. I’m lucky that I enjoy eating healthily and always have done. But like any normal girl I eat on the run occasionally and I’m not a health nut – I’ll have Starbucks, a little bit of chocolate and I adore cheese.

If a supermodel has to be concerned about heart disease, you can bet you and I do too. No one is exempt from living heartily and healthily.

Mirror.co.uk, August 15, 2006

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Bonus Hearty Habits: Rachel Hunter Selling Benecol

Researchers have found that Probucol, a cholesterol-lowering drug that reduced the levels of LDL cholesterol but with adverse side effects, was not acting as an anti-oxidant as previously thought. It seems to exert its effect via a part of the drug molecule that is not well-understood.

This finding could explain why previous studies have not found vitamin E or other antioxidants to have a strong cardioprotective effect. And it also means that drugs closely related to Probucol (but without the same side effects) may turn out to be a good alternative for controlling cholesterol levels.

Medical News Today, April 14, 2006

*Graphic from the Graz University of Technology

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Antioxidants May Not Reduce Cholesterol

There was no difference in overall death or cardiovascular death among women who took Evista compared with those who took a placebo. The company said there was an increase in stroke mortality, although the overall incidence was low.

Sometimes it seems to me that testing to see the various effects new pharmaceutical drugs may have is like a fishing expedition. First, Evista was designed for osteoporosis then someone noticed that it may reduce the risk of heart attacks and even breast cancer. So they begin to pursue these other lucrative uses as well. Medical science does tend to be trial and error but I’m not sure I would want to enroll in these experimental studies.

Reuters, April 12, 2006

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Evista Does Not Prevent Heart Attacks

This past week, Ben got the results of his cholesterol test back.

My LDL is sitting at a cool 54, while my HDL is at a very nice 145. but, what do those numbers mean?? WebMD says that HDL should be above 60. check. But more importantly, less than 100 LDL is optimal. check.

Congratulations!

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Heart-To-Heart: Ben’s Blog

Some people, like the Chinese, naturally have low levels of LDL and correspondingly low levels of heart disease. Genetics play a large part in determining LDL Levels but the environment is important too. High-fat, high-cholesterol diet, sedentary lifestyle, and smoking all increase LDL cholesterol levels.

In a recent study, researchers found that even a small increase decrease in LDL cholesterol can reduce a person’s risk of coronary heart disease. It’s possible to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol through lifestyle changes like exercise and diet or cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. The key, however, is to maintain low LDL cholesterol over a lifetime rather than letting it get out of control then trying to stamp it down.

Rats. I shouldn’t have eaten that bacon this morning.

HHMI News, March 23, 2006

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Lower LDL Cholesterol To Lower Risk of Heart Disease