Know your number and act
Cholesterol is a word heard tossed around often in health discussions but not fully understood by many people. According to the National Institute of Health high cholesterol, also known as hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia, exists when cholesterol levels in the blood reach a level that’s unhealthy and can lead to heart disease, atherosclerosis high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and other serious health complications.
Dr. Jonathan Davis is a board-certified cardiologist with the CHRISTUS Schumpert Group in Shreveport. “Cholesterol is the waxy substance that is found in the fats [lipids] in our blood. Our bodies need some cholesterol to make hormones, Vitamin D and to help digest food. Too much cholesterol in your blood can form deposits in your arteries, which can lead to a heart attack,” Davis said.
All cholesterol is not the equal, however.
“Lipoproteins are the proteins that transport cholesterol in the bloodstream. Lowdensity lipoprotein is known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol, because the collection of LDL causes blockages in our arteries. Highdensity lipoprotein is referred to as the ‘good’ cholesterol because it carries excess cholesterol in your blood to the liver, where it is broken down. High HDL levels may protect you from a heart attack. Higher levels of LDL have been linked to the development of plaque in blood vessels to the heart, which increases your risk for a heart attack,” Davis said.
Atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries) develops for decades before symptoms may appear, so the NIH suggests the guideline that the rst cholesterol test should be done at the age of 20 with rechecks every ve years. They state that everyone should definitely have their first screening by age 35 for men and 45 for women; furthermore, anyone who has been diagnosed with diabetes, heart disease, stroke or high blood pressure should always have a cholesterol test done, whatever their age happens to be.
“Your total cholesterol should be no greater than 200 mg/dL. If you have diabetes or heart disease, your LDL should be lower than 100, and some experts advocate lower than 70. If you have one risk factor for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, smoking or obesity, your LDL should be lower than 160. If you have two or more risk factors, your goal is lower than 130. The HDL goal is greater than 60,” Davis said.
The cholesterol level can be checked with a simple blood test, and comes in three main numbers – total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL. The NIH rates the cholesterol ranges for each group as follows:
According to the NIH, high cholesterol tends to run in families. Although the main reason for high cholesterol levels is dietary, there are diseases, which can increase cholesterol levels, such as diabetes, obesity, thyroid disease and some genetic diseases.
“The best way to lower cholesterol is through lifestyle modi cation,” Davis said. I tell my patients to move at least 30 minutes a day, ve days a week. This can reduce the risk of a heart attack by 50 percent. Losing weight also helps. Losing as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight can help significantly reduce cholesterol. Choose healthier fats and eat more fruits and vegetables, which are high in dietary fiber and reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Don’t overeat, don’t smoke and drink alcohol in moderation.”
Ingested fats are not all the same. The NIH warns against excessive intake of saturated fats, which are generally the fats that are solid at room temperature. These come from animal sources such as meat or butter, and have been shown to increase LDL and worsen cholesterol problems. They recommend eating unsaturated fat instead, which are typically liquid at room temperature and have the opposite effect. The NIH’s National Cholesterol Education Program has developed a diet called the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet, which they recommend to help lower the total cholesterol level for better health which features lowering or eliminating saturated fat, replacing most animal fat in the diet with unsaturated or monounsaturated oils, and limiting total consumption of dietary cholesterol to no more than 200 mg per day.
“If lifestyle modification fails, high cholesterol can be treated medically with drugs called statins, which prevent your body from making cholesterol and facilitate the removal of cholesterol by the liver. Some may also increase HDL.”
The NIH rates the cholesterol ranges for each group as follows:
Total Cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dL – Desirable 200-239 mg/dL – Borderline high 240 mg/dL and above – High
LDL (“Bad”) Cholesterol Less than 100mg/dL – Optimal 100-129mg/dL – Near/above optimal 130-159 mg/dL – Borderline high 160-189 mg/dL – High 190 mg/dL and above – Very high
HDL (“Good”) Cholesterol Less than 40 mg/dL – A major risk for heart disease 40-59 mg/dL – “The higher the better” 60 mg/dL and higher – Considered protective against heart disease
