What exactly is Cholesterol?

What exactly is Cholesterol?

What exactly is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is present in all human cells. A certain quantity of cholesterol in the blood is necessary for good health. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and absorbed into the bloodstream from certain ingested foods including dairy products and some fatty meats.

The issue of Cholesterol and cardiovascular health is important, but by no means simple. If you understand your cholesterol count you're better prepared than a lot of people, but it isn't enough on its own. Understanding how your other blood fat levels and your cardiovascular disease risk factors influence this number is essential. If you can grasp these complicated issues you will possess a greater understanding of how cholesterol can affect your risk of cardiovascular disease.

As your levels of cholesterol increase so does your exposure to the chance of coronary heart disease. Certain other factors including smoking, insufficient exercise, and high blood pressure can increase the risk even more. The degree of cholesterol in your blood is largely decided by your genes. Other health conditions and medications may also affect your levels of cholesterol. Changing your diet and living a healthier lifestyle can help to scale back blood cholesterol, but the alternative is taking medication to reduce it.

Blood cholesterol is the level of cholesterol in the bloodstream and comes from two sources: endogenous synthesis (made by the body) and from dietary sources. The dietary form of cholesterol is absorbed through the food we eat for instance shellfish, dairy products and egg yolks. In addition to those, the fats burned up as energy and called triglycerides also come from eating fatty food. You store what you do not use in the fatty tissues of the body. Excess triglycerides in the blood also increase heart problems. Having your cholesterol levels measured is a simple way of calculating your risk of heart disease or stroke, and provides you with the chance to correct matters before they become too serious.

Problems occur when high levels of cholesterol within the blood cause the lining of the arteries to take up a lot of LDL cholesterol, and in individuals with hypertension the danger is increased even further. This effect is greater in smokers but exercise, reducing saturated fat in the diet and modest levels of alcohol raises HDL levels and this helps reduce total cholesterol. The quantities of cholesterol removed are governed by the demand at cell level which can be increased by taking exercise.

If high cholesterol is diagnosed and left unchecked, over time it often leads to other problems including cardiovascular disease and a higher risk of stroke, so the sensible option is to have levels of cholesterol measured regularly as part of a medical checkup.

POST COMMENT

Closed Cell Foam Insulation Cost Small Indoor Fountains Street Furniture - Brightening Up The Street Making the Most of Indoor Wall Fountains Hard Money Lenders Make Your Successful Stay in Real Estate Investment Victoria Road in Kensington tops expensive homes list Planning for Window Replacement Cost to Upgrade Your Home The Luxuries of a Professional Moving Company Tips for Home Window Installation The Many Benefits of Indoor Waterfalls Rising Home Sales: Sedona Arizona Real-estate Market place Up-date The First Step To Selling Your Home Will I Be Able to Keep My Home in Bankruptcy