High Cholesterol Risks: 2 Grave Health Perils

High cholesterol risks are often taken lightly by several individuals despite 1 in 5 having this condition and above fifty percent people from the U.S. having higher than the acceptable normal limit. Regrettably, being so prevalent, high cholesterol poses grave health risk and directly contributes to heart disease which may cause heart attack and stroke.

Heart disease continues to hold topmost position as the reason for fatality and ailment across the globe. According to the WHO, nearly twenty percent of all stroke cases and nearly fifty percent of all heart attack cases could be associated with high cholesterol.

However, despite being detected with elevated cholesterol there are several measures that could be taken to prevent it from leading to more grave conditions.

Making Sense of High Risk Cholesterol Figures

Cholesterol is the fatty matter which circulates in the bloodstream. A part of the cholesterol would come from the food types one consumes and a massive portion of it is, in fact, produced by the liver. Though cholesterol is necessary for making several hormones and is vital for cell functioning, excessive amounts of it in the blood are detrimental.

Cholesterol is of varied types though physicians lay emphasis often on the duo, HDL and LDL cholesterol.

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol

Could cause arterial clogging; augmenting chances of suffering from strokes and heart attacks. Healthy levels recommended are below one hundred mg per dL. But, individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease might be advised to maintain below seventy mg per dL.

HDL (Good) Cholesterol

This form of cholesterol affixes to detrimental cholesterol and transports it to the liver where its filtration outside the body occurs. Hence, HDL cholesterol lowers the levels of bad cholesterol in the body and one should be aiming for sixty mg per dL.

Triglycerides

These are another form of fat that circulate in the bloodstream. Similar to bad cholesterol, presence of elevated triglycerides amplifies the chances of developing heart conditions. One should ideally be aiming for below 150 mg per dL.

Total Cholesterol

It is the total of HDL as well as LDL numbers and one should be targeting below a hundred mg per dL. Several specialists do not lay much emphasis on total cholesterol levels since a person could have total cholesterol below two hundred yet be having damaging LDL, HDL levels.

Comprehending High Cholesterol Risks

Every individual has cholesterol presence in their blood stream, however higher than normal LDL levels could lead to surplus amounts of it accumulating on the arterial walls. This accruement of cholesterol and other matter is known as plaque leads to narrowing of the arteries. It could additionally cause arteriosclerosis or arterial solidification that increases brittleness of usually pliable tissue.

Plaques could develop in any place like in the carotid artery of the neck causing carotid artery disease or forming in the coronary arteries supplying blood to the cardiac muscle leading to coronary artery disease. Due to inadequate blood circulation to the heart, angina could develop causing constricting trunk pains along with several symptoms.

Other dangers of high cholesterol are rupturing of the plaques leading to clots which could lodge in the artery and totally sever blood circulation. As a result, cells fail to obtain adequate nutrient and oxygen thus causing fatality. In case the clot travels to the brain, it could block blood supply causing stroke. In case the clot manages to lodge in the coronary arteries it could lead to heart attack.

Are High Cholesterol Risks Underestimated?

More the cholesterol levels, more the levels of cardiac and blood vessel disease. Since high cholesterol is asymptomatic it often tends to be overlooked by several people. Also there is lesser likelihood of individuals adhering to a long-standing therapy for elevated cholesterol as compared to that for an agonizing condition.

Furthermore the harm due to elevated cholesterol accrues with time. Elevated cholesterol in your twenties or thirties could then start taking toll in your fifties and sixties.

Pre-emptive Measures to Reduce Elevated Cholesterol Risks

All adults above twenty years of age must get their cholesterol evaluated in 5 yearly intervals. Elevated cholesterol dangers must never been ignored and therapy in case needed, must not be postponed ahead.