High Blood Cholesterol Is a Heart Attack Waiting to Happen

Each year more than a million Americans have heart attacks, and about a half million people die from heart disease.

How does cholesterol fit into this picture?

Blood cholesterol levels have a lot to do with your chances of getting heart disease. When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of arteries and over time, this buildup causes hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Arteries become narrowed and blood flow to the heart is slowed down or blocked. Blood carries oxygen to the heart and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach the heart, a person may suffer chest pain. If the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack. If an artery supplying blood to the brain becomes blocked, a stroke can occur.

High blood cholesterol does not have visible symptoms so many people are unaware that their cholesterol level is too high. It is important to know what your cholesterol numbers are because lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens the risks for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of having a heart attack or stroke or dying of heart disease, even if you already have it.

Everyone age 20 and older should have their cholesterol checked at least once every five years. Men aged 35 and older and women aged 45 and older should have levels checked more frequently, depending on what their cholesterol levels are and on what other risk factors for heart disease they have.

A blood test called a lipoprotein profile will tell your cholesterol numbers. The test is done after a 9- to 12-hour fast and gives you information about your total cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides. LDL is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries. HDL helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries. Triglycerides are another form of fat in the body. Most of the cholesterol in your body is made by your liver from saturated fat in your diet. Some cholesterol also comes from foods such as eggs, meats and dairy products.

A desirable blood cholesterol level for total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL. Levels ranging from 200 to 239 are considered borderline high and anything above 240 is high. The optimal LDL cholesterol level is less than 100 mg/dL. Levels at 130 to 159 are borderline high and anything above 160 is high.

HDL cholesterol levels of 60 mg/dL or more are best and helps reduce your risks of heart disease. Levels less than 40 mg/dL is considered a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Triglycerides can also raise heart disease risks. Optimal levels are below 150. Levels at
150 md/dL to 199 are borderline high and 200 or above is high.

What affects cholesterol levels, and what can you do to lower them? A variety of things can affect cholesterol including diet, weight, physical activity, smoking and high blood pressure.

Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet will help lower your blood cholesterol levels, says Dr. Barbara Struempler, a nutritionist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

Posted by Jim Langcuster at February 28, 2005 04:34 PM