Even if you're learn and healthy, it's possible to have high cholesterol, putting you at risk for heart disease and stroke. Don't worry: there's plenty you can do to improve your outlook by lowering your cholesterol levels--safely and effectively.
Cholesterol is portrayed as a deadly villain in the popular media, but the truth is you need a certain amount of it in your bloodstream to stay alive and well. A way, fatty compound, cholesterol is one of a group of lipids (blood-borne fats) essential to the manufacturer of hormones, nerve fibres and cell membranes. It's only when you have too much of it that cholesterol becomes a problem. Your liver typically makes all the cholesterol you need. When you eat food high in cholesterol on saturated fats, the liver responds by churning out even more. Overtime, the excess is likely to build up in your arteries and harden into what's called atherosclerotic plaque: Untreated, this condition (artherowsclerosis) can lead to angina, heart attack or stroke.
Ideally, your total cholesterol level should be below 5.5 mmol/L. Two major sub-types of cholesterol also have to be considered: low density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called 'bad' cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein (HDL), or 'good' cholesterol. (Lipoproteins are tiny globules of fat and protein that help transport fats to cells throughout our body). Each type of lipoprotein has a different impact on your health. The higher your LDL, for instance, the greater your risk of heart disease. On the other hand, high levels of HDL actually reduce your cardiovascular risk because HDL carries cholesterol back to the liver where it is metabolised and eventually excreted. (see the table on shortly for a breakdown of cholesterol levels and what the numbers mean.) Doctors also pay attention to other blood lipids, especially triglycerides (see box shortly).
Your risk for high cholesterol increases with age--and in men more than women (oestrogen helps until menopause). Other risk factors include diabetes, as under-active thyroid or a family history. Even though high cholesterol has no real symptoms, it is a major cause of coronary heart disease, the number one killer of Australian and New Zealand adults. On the bright side, if a blood test reveals you have high cholesterol, there are good ways to get it under control.
LIKELY FIRST STEPS
The first step is to try to lower your cholesterol with lifestyle measures. Often dietary changes along with regular exercise can bring cholesterol levels down to an acceptable range. If these don't do the trick--which is common for people genetically predisposed to high cholesterol--your doctor can prescribe safe and effective medications. There are natural remedies you can try as well.
Treatment Options
The biotechnology firm Avant immunotherapeutics is working on a cholesterol vaccine. Administered twice a year, the vaccine has been shown in preliminary studies to increase HDL cholesterol by as much as 40-50% while lowering LDL more than 20%. Further clinical trials are necessary, but so far the vaccine appears safe and may one day soon provide a useful alternative for those who don't respond well to statin drugs.
Lifestyle changes
With some simple steps, you can cut your cholesterol levels by 20 to 30 percent, or even more. First, dietary changes. Eat fewer high-fat, animal-derived foods, such as red meat and whole-milk dairy products, which are also high in cholesterol. And avoid processed foods contain highly saturated vegetable oils (coconut oil, palm and palm kernel oil). Even though these oils come from plant sources and don't contain any cholesterol, they stimulate your liver to manufacture cholesterol. Always be wary of foods that flaunt 'low cholesterol' or 'no cholesterol' on their labels.
Trans fatty acids---also known as TFAs or trans fats--are bad news too. Found mainly in margarines and commercial baked goods, TFAs occur when any liquid vegetable oil is made solid or semisolid by adding hydrogen. Like saturated fats, trans fats increase LDL and reduce HDL. Read labels and steer clear of products with the phrase 'contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil'. Use olive and canola oil instead; they're good sources of monounsaturated fat, which is considerably healthier than saturated fat. You should also follow the so-called Mediterranean Diet; seek out foods that are low in fat and high in fibre (fruit, vegetables, whole grains); and get your protein from fish, legumes and soy.
In addition to dietary changes, you should lose extra kilos if you are more than 20 percent overweight. And be sure to exercise regularly: burning at least 1000 kilo-joules a day (the equivalent of 45 minutes of brisk walking or 25 minutes of jogging) can raise your HDL and significantly protect you against heart disease. For best results, combine aerobic activity with resistance training and strength training. You might also consider having a drink every day (a glass of wine, a beer or a cocktail). A number of studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption may boost HDL. Men, however, should have no more than two drinks a day; women no more than one. Exceeding that amount can increase your health risks. And if you smoke, definitely quit smoking.
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What is happening
Cholesterol is portrayed as a deadly villain in the popular media, but the truth is you need a certain amount of it in your bloodstream to stay alive and well. A way, fatty compound, cholesterol is one of a group of lipids (blood-borne fats) essential to the manufacturer of hormones, nerve fibres and cell membranes. It's only when you have too much of it that cholesterol becomes a problem. Your liver typically makes all the cholesterol you need. When you eat food high in cholesterol on saturated fats, the liver responds by churning out even more. Overtime, the excess is likely to build up in your arteries and harden into what's called atherosclerotic plaque: Untreated, this condition (artherowsclerosis) can lead to angina, heart attack or stroke.
Ideally, your total cholesterol level should be below 5.5 mmol/L. Two major sub-types of cholesterol also have to be considered: low density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called 'bad' cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein (HDL), or 'good' cholesterol. (Lipoproteins are tiny globules of fat and protein that help transport fats to cells throughout our body). Each type of lipoprotein has a different impact on your health. The higher your LDL, for instance, the greater your risk of heart disease. On the other hand, high levels of HDL actually reduce your cardiovascular risk because HDL carries cholesterol back to the liver where it is metabolised and eventually excreted. (see the table on shortly for a breakdown of cholesterol levels and what the numbers mean.) Doctors also pay attention to other blood lipids, especially triglycerides (see box shortly).
Your risk for high cholesterol increases with age--and in men more than women (oestrogen helps until menopause). Other risk factors include diabetes, as under-active thyroid or a family history. Even though high cholesterol has no real symptoms, it is a major cause of coronary heart disease, the number one killer of Australian and New Zealand adults. On the bright side, if a blood test reveals you have high cholesterol, there are good ways to get it under control.
- Lifestyle changes, with an emphasis on reducing the amounts of saturated fat and animal protein in your diet.
- Medications--most likely one of the stain drugs--if lifestyle measures are inadequate.
- Natural remedies can be effective for mildly elevated cholesterol levels.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
- Why didn't my strict diet plan make much of a dent in my cholesterol levels?
- Are there any tests to determine if my high cholesterol has caused any damage to my health so far?
- Should I tell my children to get checked for high cholesterol?
- Is it possible that a medicine I'm taking or another medical condition I have could be rasising my cholesterol levels?
Treatments
The first step is to try to lower your cholesterol with lifestyle measures. Often dietary changes along with regular exercise can bring cholesterol levels down to an acceptable range. If these don't do the trick--which is common for people genetically predisposed to high cholesterol--your doctor can prescribe safe and effective medications. There are natural remedies you can try as well.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pay attention to diet Avoid foods high in Cholesterol, saturated fat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exercise & Weight loss Both protect against heart disease.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy a drink Moderate alcohol use boosts HDL.
MEDICATIONS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statins Highly effective, first-line treatment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nicotinic acid Niacin, to lower IDL and raise HDL. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bile-acid sequestrants Work in GI tract to lower LDL.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fibric acid derivatives For high triglycerides, but will help LDL.
NATURAL METHODS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Relaxation techniques De-stressing reduces blood lipid levels.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Herbs Plan sterols, gugulipid, policosanol.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vitamins Inositol hexaniacinate (nonflushing niacin).
TAKING CONTROL
PROMISING DEVELOPMENTSPay attention to diet Avoid foods high in Cholesterol, saturated fat.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exercise & Weight loss Both protect against heart disease.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy a drink Moderate alcohol use boosts HDL.
MEDICATIONS
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Statins Highly effective, first-line treatment.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nicotinic acid Niacin, to lower IDL and raise HDL. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bile-acid sequestrants Work in GI tract to lower LDL.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fibric acid derivatives For high triglycerides, but will help LDL.
NATURAL METHODS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Relaxation techniques De-stressing reduces blood lipid levels.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Herbs Plan sterols, gugulipid, policosanol.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vitamins Inositol hexaniacinate (nonflushing niacin).
TAKING CONTROL
- Eat more omega-3s. These fatty acids (found in olive and fish oils) are healthier than the more prevalent omega-6s (in corn-based oils such as canola). To get a better balance of omega-3s, choose a salad dressing with olive oil (bottled dressings often use soya bean oil) and cook with olive oil too. Look for mayon-naise made from canola oil; most use soya bean or other high omega-6 oils.
- Ask about low-dose aspirin therapy. Depending on your overall risk profile, a daily low-dose aspirin may be a smart and inexpensive way to reduce your chance of heart attack. But don't initiate such as regimen without first talking with your doctor.
The biotechnology firm Avant immunotherapeutics is working on a cholesterol vaccine. Administered twice a year, the vaccine has been shown in preliminary studies to increase HDL cholesterol by as much as 40-50% while lowering LDL more than 20%. Further clinical trials are necessary, but so far the vaccine appears safe and may one day soon provide a useful alternative for those who don't respond well to statin drugs.
Lifestyle changes
With some simple steps, you can cut your cholesterol levels by 20 to 30 percent, or even more. First, dietary changes. Eat fewer high-fat, animal-derived foods, such as red meat and whole-milk dairy products, which are also high in cholesterol. And avoid processed foods contain highly saturated vegetable oils (coconut oil, palm and palm kernel oil). Even though these oils come from plant sources and don't contain any cholesterol, they stimulate your liver to manufacture cholesterol. Always be wary of foods that flaunt 'low cholesterol' or 'no cholesterol' on their labels.
Trans fatty acids---also known as TFAs or trans fats--are bad news too. Found mainly in margarines and commercial baked goods, TFAs occur when any liquid vegetable oil is made solid or semisolid by adding hydrogen. Like saturated fats, trans fats increase LDL and reduce HDL. Read labels and steer clear of products with the phrase 'contains partially hydrogenated vegetable oil'. Use olive and canola oil instead; they're good sources of monounsaturated fat, which is considerably healthier than saturated fat. You should also follow the so-called Mediterranean Diet; seek out foods that are low in fat and high in fibre (fruit, vegetables, whole grains); and get your protein from fish, legumes and soy.
In addition to dietary changes, you should lose extra kilos if you are more than 20 percent overweight. And be sure to exercise regularly: burning at least 1000 kilo-joules a day (the equivalent of 45 minutes of brisk walking or 25 minutes of jogging) can raise your HDL and significantly protect you against heart disease. For best results, combine aerobic activity with resistance training and strength training. You might also consider having a drink every day (a glass of wine, a beer or a cocktail). A number of studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption may boost HDL. Men, however, should have no more than two drinks a day; women no more than one. Exceeding that amount can increase your health risks. And if you smoke, definitely quit smoking.
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