Everything you must know about High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy steroid of fat produced in liver and intestine, used for the synthesis of hormones and cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all mammals. Cholesterol is needed by our body because it helps in building the structure of cell membranes, produce hormones like testosterone, adrenaline and estrogen, and also to help the metabolism process. It is transmitted around in the blood by lipoproteins.

There are two kinds of cholesterol: LDL and HDL. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol – also known as the ‘bad’ cholesterol goes into the bloodstream and clogs up your arteries. High – density lipoprotein cholesterol – also known as the ‘good’ cholesterol helps to take the ‘bad’ cholesterol out of the bloodstream.

Cholesterol Level Chart

Symptoms of High Cholesterol level include:

• Chest pain
• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Pain while walking due to blocked arteries

Diagnosis of High Cholesterol

Cholesterol can easily be diagnosed with a small blood test which checks the LDL, HDL and blood triglyceride levels in our body.

Factors that increase the risk of High Cholesterol are:

• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Poor diet
• Lack of exercise
• Large waist circumference

Tips to regulate Cholesterol level are:

• Keep checking cholesterol level regularly
• Omega 3 supplement
• Reduce the intake of caffeine
• Increase intake of spices
• Increase in soya intake
• Drink more water
• Take multivitamins
• Quit smoking
• Use Olive Oil

Treatment for High Cholesterol includes:

• Healthy and appropriate diet or food supplements such as Omegalogy
• Regular physical activity
• Weight loss, if necessary
• Consume foods that lower cholesterol level such as garlic, soya, oats, corn etc
• Statins can lower LDL cholesterol by 60 percent, depending on the drug and dosage

High cholesterol can cause serious health problems, if left untreated. So, keep a regular check on its levels by asking your doctors to test in case you suffer from any symptoms.