What is cholesterol?

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What is cholesterol?

• Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that is
  naturally present in cell walls or membranes
  everywhere in the body. Your body uses
  cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D,
  and the bile acids that help to digest fat. 
• If you have too much cholesterol in your
  bloodstream, the excess may be deposited in the
  arteries of the heart, which could lead to heart
  disease. 

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What causes high cholesterol?

• Several drugs and diseases can cause high
  cholesterol !!
• however, for many people, a high-fat diet and
  inherited metabolic factors seem to be the main
  causes. 

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What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?

• High cholesterol doesnt have any symptoms.
• The only way to know if you have high cholesterol
  is to have it checked, which can be done with a
  simple blood test, called a fasting lipoprotein
  profile

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How often should I have my cholesterol checked?

• Government and physician-supported guidelines
  state that healthy adults who are aged 20 years
  or older should have a fasting lipoprotein
  profile done once every 5 years. 

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How is cholesterol checked?

• You may be asked to fast overnight before the
  test, hence its name. A fasting lipoprotein
  profile measures
• total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, HDL
  ("good") cholesterol,
• and triglycerides in your blood. 
• A cholesterol test can be done without fasting,
  but then only the levels of total cholesterol and
  HDL C ("good") can be used.

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Should I only be concerned with my total chol-
number?

• Just knowing your total cholesterol isnt
  enough. 
• Cholesterol is made up of 2 different types
• HDL C ("good") cholesterol and
• LDL C ("bad") cholesterol .
• HDL C is considered good because it helps keep
  LDL C ("bad") from building up in the walls of
  your arteries and causing blockage. 
• You also need to know your level of triglycerides
  because high triglycerides also increase the risk
  of heart disease, especially in people with
  diabetes.  

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What kinds of problems are
caused by high cholesterol?

• High cholesterol causes atherosclerosis
  (hardening of the arteries), which can lead to
• blocked coronary arteries, manifested by chest
  pain (angina) or a heart attack. Other serious
  problems, as
• blocked arteries to the brain, causing
  threatened stroke (transient ischemic attack) and
  
• blocked arteries in the legs, causing pain,
  limping, and possibly even limb loss, are
  possible

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What are the uncontrollable andcontrollable and
risk factors for high cholesterol ?!

• The risk factors you cant control
• your age (for men, 45 years or older for
  women, 55 years or older)
• your family history of early heart disease
  (for men, father or brother affected before age
  55 years for
• women, mother or sister affected before age
  65 years). 
• The risk factors you can control are
• lowering high blood cholesterol
• which is high total cholesterol and high
  LDL C ("bad") raising HDL C
  ("good") cholesterol.

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• quitting smoking
• controlling high blood pressure
• controlling diabetes
• losing weight if overweight/obese
• and keeping physically active. 
• If you have diabetes, your risk of heart
  disease is high. To reduce your risk,
• you will need to lower your cholesterol under
  the supervision of your doctor.

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What the Numbers Mean

• Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per
  deciliters (mg/dL) of blood..
• Desirable Less than 200 mg/dL
• Borderline High Risk 200-239 mg/dL
• High Risk 240 mg/dL and above

However, the risk of cardiovascular disease
associated with these levels of chol- and
trig- will depend upon the presence or
absence of other risk factors, such as the
presence of known cardiovascular disease (heart
attack, stroke), hypertension , age positive
family history diabetes sex smoking
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• Your HDL cholesterol level will fall into 1 of 3
  categories
• High (Desirable) 60 mg/dL and above
• Acceptable 40-59 mg/dL
• Low 40 mg/dL and less
• Triglycerides
• A high level of trig- may be a sign of a
  lipoprotein problem that contributes to heart
  disease.
• Your triglyceride level will fall into 1 of 4
  categories
• Normal Less than 150 mg/dL
• Borderline High 150-199 mg/dL
• High 200-499 mg/dL
• Very High 500 mg/dL and above

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• LDL cholesterol is considered the bad
  cholesterol. Your risk of heart disease goes up
• if you have a high level of LDL cholesterol in
• your blood. Your
• LDL chole- level will fall into 1of 5
  categories
• Optimal Less than 100 mg/dL
• Near Optimal/Above Optimal 100-129mg/dl
• Borderline High 130-159 mg/dL
• High 160-189 mg/dL
• Very High 190 mg/dL and above

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What can I do to prevent high cholesterol?

• The primary prevention of high cholesterol is to
  adopt a healthy lifestyle.
• This lifestyle should include 30-60 minutes a day
  of exercise on most or all days of the week,
• a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol,
• and not smoking.

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When would a doctor prescribe a medication to
lower cholesterol?

• If you have high cholesterol, the main goal of a
  treatment program is to lower your LDL ("bad")
  cholesterol level. There are 2 main ways to lower
  your LDL cholesterol level
• 1-lifestyle changes and 2- drug
  treatment.
• Lifestyle changes include a
• low-saturated fat,
• low-cholesterol diet
• exercise and
• weight loss if you are overweight. 

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• If following a healthy diet, exercising, and
  losing weight dont lower your risk for heart
  disease,
• then your doctor might prescribe a medication to
  help lower your cholesterol
• Even if your doctor does prescribe a medication
• you must still follow
• your healthy diet,
• be more physically active,
• stop cigarette smoking if you smoke,
• and control your other risk factors
• (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes) for
  heart disease.

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• Thank You
• Best Regard's
• Iz Clinic

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