Getting your cholesterol checked every five years or so is always a good decision. It is very important that you know what your cholesterol level is because it can mean a lot for your health. So much can be found out just by reading one’s level, as it can mean a person is in good health or that person could be at risk for heart disease and other problems. By knowing what your cholesterol level is, you will get a better idea of what you have to do in order to remain healthy.
While it is good to know what the level is, you may not understand what you need to do after you find out. For instance, if your cholesterol level is high (and it is the bad cholesterol), then what will you need to do to bring it down? Your doctor will surely tell you, but perhaps you could use a reference.
Different Blood (Or Serum) Cholesterol Levels And What They Mean
Less than 200 mg/dL: Desirable
By having a cholesterol level that is around this level, it means that you are at a low risk to receive some sort of heart disease in the future. This obviously does not mean that you can get heart disease in the future; you have to live a healthy life to further prevent heart disease. In order to continue keeping a good cholesterol level, you must eat a healthy diet for your heart, get plenty of physical activity, and avoid tobacco smoke.
200-239 mg/dL: Borderline – High Risk
When your cholesterol level is this high, you will need to come up with a plan with your doctor in order to lower it. These levels can still be reached, even if you have normal levels of bad cholesterol (with high levels of good cholesterol). If you come up with a plan, you must stick to it in order to bring down your cholesterol level. Depending on your situation, you may need medication or you may need to be rechecked more often.
240 mg/dL and above: High Risk
By having levels this high, you obviously know that you are a much higher risk to get heart disease than someone who has a desirable level. Work with your doctor to come up with a way to get this lowered, which may or may not include medication. Either way, you may have to change your life around, and that may mean eating healthier, getting more exercise, and avoiding tobacco smoke.
Knowing what each cholesterol level means is important because it can help keep you healthy much longer. By knowing this information before going to a doctor, you will be able to make some changes in your life ahead of time. By doing so, you will feel better about yourself and you will be much healthier.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Tips To Preventing High Cholesterol Levels
Unless you get a blood test that includes your lipid profile you won’t know if you have high cholesterol levels. You can have a variety of complications if you don’t have your cholesterol levels checked including heart disease which can possibly lead to death. The most important way that you can first against high cholesterol levels and heart disease is to prevent them. You can do this by taking a look at your lifestyle and making changes to keep a healthy heart.
Watch Your Weight
Not only does weight gain run the risk of you not fitting into your jeans, but it can also raise your LDL or bad cholesterol levels while lowering your HDL or good cholesterol levels. This is the perfect condition for heart disease to develop. It doesn’t take much weight loss to see improvement in you cholesterol levels, just five to ten percent of your body weight is enough. You can achieve a healthy weight through numerous diets and recipes.
Lifestyle Changes
You can reduce your bad cholesterol levels and raise the good with moderate exercise or about thirty minutes at least five times a week. You don’t have to overdo your exercise, often just a brisk walk will be enough to change your cholesterol levels. You can search the internet for sites that will help you to find the exercise program that is right for you. When it comes to diet you should include a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean sources of protein. You should try to avoid meats, pastries, cookies and snack foods as much as possible.
Medication
There are certain medications that can directly cause a change in your cholesterol levels whether it is good or bad. When you begin taking any new medication be sure to ask your doctor how the drug will affect your cholesterol levels. If the medication has a risk of changing your levels then you may want to discuss an alternative medication with your doctor. If you have not medication alternative then you should make a good plan to monitor your lipid levels very closely.
Smoking
Smoking not only lower the good cholesterol in your system but it also increased oxidized bad cholesterol and accelerates the growth of atherosclerosis, all of these can place individuals at an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Although the sooner you stop smoking the better your chance of being able to reduce your risk of heart disease related to high cholesterol levels. Making lifestyle changes now will benefit your life for years to come.
Watch Your Weight
Not only does weight gain run the risk of you not fitting into your jeans, but it can also raise your LDL or bad cholesterol levels while lowering your HDL or good cholesterol levels. This is the perfect condition for heart disease to develop. It doesn’t take much weight loss to see improvement in you cholesterol levels, just five to ten percent of your body weight is enough. You can achieve a healthy weight through numerous diets and recipes.
Lifestyle Changes
You can reduce your bad cholesterol levels and raise the good with moderate exercise or about thirty minutes at least five times a week. You don’t have to overdo your exercise, often just a brisk walk will be enough to change your cholesterol levels. You can search the internet for sites that will help you to find the exercise program that is right for you. When it comes to diet you should include a lot of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean sources of protein. You should try to avoid meats, pastries, cookies and snack foods as much as possible.
Medication
There are certain medications that can directly cause a change in your cholesterol levels whether it is good or bad. When you begin taking any new medication be sure to ask your doctor how the drug will affect your cholesterol levels. If the medication has a risk of changing your levels then you may want to discuss an alternative medication with your doctor. If you have not medication alternative then you should make a good plan to monitor your lipid levels very closely.
Smoking
Smoking not only lower the good cholesterol in your system but it also increased oxidized bad cholesterol and accelerates the growth of atherosclerosis, all of these can place individuals at an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Although the sooner you stop smoking the better your chance of being able to reduce your risk of heart disease related to high cholesterol levels. Making lifestyle changes now will benefit your life for years to come.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Should You Use Your Cholesterol Ratio?
Looking at a person’s cholesterol has become a major part of determining health problems, most notably heart disease. Ask anyone who has had high cholesterol and heart problems and he/she would be able to tell you how important it is that you know your level and what to do about it.
Basically, in order to prevent having a life full of heart disease and other problems, you will want to do at least three things on a regular basis. You will definitely want to eat foods that are heart-healthy. In addition to eating healthy, you will also want to get regular exercise and, finally, you will want to stop smoking (if you already do so) and avoid tobacco smoke altogether.
There are a few ways to look at a person’s cholesterol, what of which being the cholesterol ratio. Some physicians prefer actual cholesterol numbers as opposed to a cholesterol ratio because it is easier to determine the appropriate treatment methods using those numbers. However, some physicians prefer to use the cholesterol ratio.
What Exactly Is A Cholesterol Ratio?
A cholesterol ratio is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol in place of the total blood cholesterol. By dividing the HDL cholesterol into the total cholesterol, you will come up with your desired ratio.
Example: if a person has a total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL and an HDL cholesterol of 50 mg/dL, then the cholesterol ratio is 4:1. Ideally, you will want to keep this ratio below 5:1. The best cholesterol ratio that you would want is 3.5:1. Even if you cannot reach that optimum level, do your best to keep it as close as possible to that number.
No matter what, the most important thing for you to do is lead as healthy a life as you possibly can. Even if you cannot reach the optimum cholesterol levels and ratios right away, don’t panic or give up. Plenty of hard work and determination, along with the willingness to try and stay healthy, you can bring down your cholesterol ratio and make your heart less at risk for disease.
The cholesterol ratio is not used by every physician, as some believe looking at actual numbers will help them more when determining which route to take when it comes to treatment. Either way, you may want to get a ratio as well just so you can have all the information possible on your health. It may end up helping you more in the long run.
Basically, in order to prevent having a life full of heart disease and other problems, you will want to do at least three things on a regular basis. You will definitely want to eat foods that are heart-healthy. In addition to eating healthy, you will also want to get regular exercise and, finally, you will want to stop smoking (if you already do so) and avoid tobacco smoke altogether.
There are a few ways to look at a person’s cholesterol, what of which being the cholesterol ratio. Some physicians prefer actual cholesterol numbers as opposed to a cholesterol ratio because it is easier to determine the appropriate treatment methods using those numbers. However, some physicians prefer to use the cholesterol ratio.
What Exactly Is A Cholesterol Ratio?
A cholesterol ratio is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol in place of the total blood cholesterol. By dividing the HDL cholesterol into the total cholesterol, you will come up with your desired ratio.
Example: if a person has a total cholesterol of 200 mg/dL and an HDL cholesterol of 50 mg/dL, then the cholesterol ratio is 4:1. Ideally, you will want to keep this ratio below 5:1. The best cholesterol ratio that you would want is 3.5:1. Even if you cannot reach that optimum level, do your best to keep it as close as possible to that number.
No matter what, the most important thing for you to do is lead as healthy a life as you possibly can. Even if you cannot reach the optimum cholesterol levels and ratios right away, don’t panic or give up. Plenty of hard work and determination, along with the willingness to try and stay healthy, you can bring down your cholesterol ratio and make your heart less at risk for disease.
The cholesterol ratio is not used by every physician, as some believe looking at actual numbers will help them more when determining which route to take when it comes to treatment. Either way, you may want to get a ratio as well just so you can have all the information possible on your health. It may end up helping you more in the long run.
Cholesterol Medications Help In Different Ways
When the doctor has determined that diet and exercise are not going to help you achieve optimal cholesterol levels, there are prescription cholesterol medications that are showing success in reducing the bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels while helping to increase the good cholesterol level. Different drugs will help in different manners, and which one is right for you should be determined through consultation between you and your doctor.
Some of the most common and widely prescribed cholesterol medications, which help keep the bad cholesterol moving through the blood stream include Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor, although there are others on the market, these are the most widely prescribed. These cholesterol medications work to lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides while showing a slight increase in good cholesterol level. Statins essentially stop the cholesterol from stopping while in the blood stream and helping them be flushed through before they can clot and cause problems.
Another group of beneficial cholesterol medications to decrease LDL and triglycerides in the blood while increasing good cholesterol are absorption inhibitors. Drugs commonly prescribed include Vytorin and Zetia. This class of drugs inhibits cholesterol from being absorbed into the body from the blood stream, effectively eliminating cholesterol before it has a chance to become a part of the blood stream.
Sources Of Cholesterol May Prompt Medicine Choice
Cholesterol essentially has two sources, one the food being consumed and the other genetics. It is now known that high cholesterol levels can be inherited and it is mainly that form of cholesterol that a change in diet and exercise may not help. In some cases cholesterol medications will be needed to supplement the effects of diet and exercise to help fight cholesterol from both sources.
When a person is determined to have high cholesterol, they will be encouraged to eliminated other risk factors for heart disease, such as quitting smoking, regular exercise and eating a heart healthy diet. A combination of lifestyle change and cholesterol medications can bring a persons levels into a healthy range. Working with your doctor can determine the right drug and right dosage for each individual.
A sedentary lifestyle can exacerbate a cholesterol problem as even if you have a bad cholesterol level that is considered borderline, a low good cholesterol level can cause the bad cholesterol level to be worse as well as the triglyceride level joining it to create havoc on the coronary system. With the available cholesterol medications and the knowledge of how exercise can help maintain healthy levels, there are several options to meal maintain a healthy heart.
Some of the most common and widely prescribed cholesterol medications, which help keep the bad cholesterol moving through the blood stream include Lipitor, Zocor and Crestor, although there are others on the market, these are the most widely prescribed. These cholesterol medications work to lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides while showing a slight increase in good cholesterol level. Statins essentially stop the cholesterol from stopping while in the blood stream and helping them be flushed through before they can clot and cause problems.
Another group of beneficial cholesterol medications to decrease LDL and triglycerides in the blood while increasing good cholesterol are absorption inhibitors. Drugs commonly prescribed include Vytorin and Zetia. This class of drugs inhibits cholesterol from being absorbed into the body from the blood stream, effectively eliminating cholesterol before it has a chance to become a part of the blood stream.
Sources Of Cholesterol May Prompt Medicine Choice
Cholesterol essentially has two sources, one the food being consumed and the other genetics. It is now known that high cholesterol levels can be inherited and it is mainly that form of cholesterol that a change in diet and exercise may not help. In some cases cholesterol medications will be needed to supplement the effects of diet and exercise to help fight cholesterol from both sources.
When a person is determined to have high cholesterol, they will be encouraged to eliminated other risk factors for heart disease, such as quitting smoking, regular exercise and eating a heart healthy diet. A combination of lifestyle change and cholesterol medications can bring a persons levels into a healthy range. Working with your doctor can determine the right drug and right dosage for each individual.
A sedentary lifestyle can exacerbate a cholesterol problem as even if you have a bad cholesterol level that is considered borderline, a low good cholesterol level can cause the bad cholesterol level to be worse as well as the triglyceride level joining it to create havoc on the coronary system. With the available cholesterol medications and the knowledge of how exercise can help maintain healthy levels, there are several options to meal maintain a healthy heart.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Using Lipitor Cholesterol Medication
One of the leading causes of death is heart disease. Heart disease can be caused by high levels of cholesterol within a person’s blood stream. This adherence of LDL cholesterol to the inner walls of the arteries begins to build up and blocks the flow of blood to vital organs. Specifically, this process can block the flow of blood through the coronary arteries to the heart which in turn can cause heart disease or eventually heart attacks.
As a preventative measure an examining doctor may order blood tests to determine cholesterol levels. This laboratory procedure on a patient's blood will reveal the levels of cholesterol within the bloodstream. The two types of cholesterol that are found in a person's blood is LDL or bad cholesterol and HDL which is good cholesterol.
If a person is found to have high LDL cholesterol levels then the doctor will prescribe a treatment program. Often a high cholesterol treatment program will include the prescribing of a low-fat diet, cardiovascular exercise program and medication.
One of those cholesterol medications is Lipitor. Before using Lipitor cholesterol medication it is important to know what Lipitor is and what are the directions for usage.
Lipitor
Lipitor cholesterol medication is a prescription drug that restricts the production of cholesterol within the body. It does this by acting on the liver which is the cholesterol producing organ in the human body. The type of cholesterol that Lipitor cholesterol medication blocks is the LDL or bad cholesterol.
As the Lipitor cholesterol medication minimizes the production of LDL cholesterol, this action helps to minimize heart disease, strokes and blockage of the coronary arteries. Lipitor cholesterol medication has also been shown to be effective against type 2 diabetes.
In order for Lipitor cholesterol medication to be the most effective it is important to follow the physician’s advice. Generally, the physician’s advice is a full implementation of a cholesterol treatment program. That full cholesterol treatment program may include the advice of the physician to be involved with a cardiovascular exercise program.
Directions For Use
As with all medications it is important to follow the prescription guidelines. The use of Lipitor cholesterol medication is no exception. Therefore, the individual who is being treated for high cholesterol should avoid eating fatty foods. In addition, when taking Lipitor cholesterol medication it is imperative that the patient does not drink alcohol. This is because Lipitor works in conjunction with the liver and the liver is directly affected by the ingestion of alcohol. A combination of Lipitor cholesterol medication and the drinking of alcohol may cause damage to the liver
Finally the normal dosage of Lipitor cholesterol medication is one pill daily and should be swallowed with a full glass of water. In addition, Lipitor cholesterol medication can be taken with a meal or alone without the eating of food.
As a preventative measure an examining doctor may order blood tests to determine cholesterol levels. This laboratory procedure on a patient's blood will reveal the levels of cholesterol within the bloodstream. The two types of cholesterol that are found in a person's blood is LDL or bad cholesterol and HDL which is good cholesterol.
If a person is found to have high LDL cholesterol levels then the doctor will prescribe a treatment program. Often a high cholesterol treatment program will include the prescribing of a low-fat diet, cardiovascular exercise program and medication.
One of those cholesterol medications is Lipitor. Before using Lipitor cholesterol medication it is important to know what Lipitor is and what are the directions for usage.
Lipitor
Lipitor cholesterol medication is a prescription drug that restricts the production of cholesterol within the body. It does this by acting on the liver which is the cholesterol producing organ in the human body. The type of cholesterol that Lipitor cholesterol medication blocks is the LDL or bad cholesterol.
As the Lipitor cholesterol medication minimizes the production of LDL cholesterol, this action helps to minimize heart disease, strokes and blockage of the coronary arteries. Lipitor cholesterol medication has also been shown to be effective against type 2 diabetes.
In order for Lipitor cholesterol medication to be the most effective it is important to follow the physician’s advice. Generally, the physician’s advice is a full implementation of a cholesterol treatment program. That full cholesterol treatment program may include the advice of the physician to be involved with a cardiovascular exercise program.
Directions For Use
As with all medications it is important to follow the prescription guidelines. The use of Lipitor cholesterol medication is no exception. Therefore, the individual who is being treated for high cholesterol should avoid eating fatty foods. In addition, when taking Lipitor cholesterol medication it is imperative that the patient does not drink alcohol. This is because Lipitor works in conjunction with the liver and the liver is directly affected by the ingestion of alcohol. A combination of Lipitor cholesterol medication and the drinking of alcohol may cause damage to the liver
Finally the normal dosage of Lipitor cholesterol medication is one pill daily and should be swallowed with a full glass of water. In addition, Lipitor cholesterol medication can be taken with a meal or alone without the eating of food.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Normal Cholesterol Levels Are Necessary To Reduce Health Risks
Health risks for heart disease and stroke are greatly increased when cholesterol levels are not maintained within the recommended normal range. High cholesterol levels over time can lead to the thickening and stiffening of arteries from plaque buildup hindering or blocking blood flow to major organs causing life-threatening illness. Along with high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease having consistently high cholesterol levels increase the risks of serious illnesses that much more.
What Are Normal Cholesterol Levels?
The normal level of total cholesterol is considered to be less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), while anything 240 or higher is considered high.
The normal level of LDL cholesterol is less than 100 mg/dl. LDL or high-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol is considered too high when it is measured at 160 mg/dl or higher.
The normal level of HDL cholesterol is 60 mg/dl. HDL or high-density lipoprotein (good) cholesterol levels increase risk for heart disease when they fall to 40 mg/dl or less.
Another type of cholesterol that is tested is triglycerides. The normal level of triglycerides is 150 mg/dl or less. Any reading of 200 mg/dl or higher is considered high.
Adjusting Cholesterol Levels To Normal
The first step in reducing overall cholesterol levels to normal is diet and exercise. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in fat and cholesterol can help. Regular and frequent exercise can also help. If you smoke, stop and while helping to control your cholesterol you will improve your overall health too.
Even after adopting these lifestyle changes you may not bring your cholesterol test results into a normal range. Your doctor may decide that taking one of the many cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins might work for you. These drugs may have mild side effects that disappear with continued use. Normal cholesterol levels can be achieved quickly with the use of these drugs.
Other natural or non-drug treatments are available. Holistic approaches to health care can bring positive results with fewer side effects. Your doctor may not have much information about these methods so you may have to do the research yourself. Go to a respected health food store or search the Internet to find natural ways to achieve normal cholesterol levels. Just be very careful not to purchase expensive and unproven dietary supplements that claim to cure high cholesterol. They may contain ingredients that actually do more harm than good.
What Are Normal Cholesterol Levels?
The normal level of total cholesterol is considered to be less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), while anything 240 or higher is considered high.
The normal level of LDL cholesterol is less than 100 mg/dl. LDL or high-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol is considered too high when it is measured at 160 mg/dl or higher.
The normal level of HDL cholesterol is 60 mg/dl. HDL or high-density lipoprotein (good) cholesterol levels increase risk for heart disease when they fall to 40 mg/dl or less.
Another type of cholesterol that is tested is triglycerides. The normal level of triglycerides is 150 mg/dl or less. Any reading of 200 mg/dl or higher is considered high.
Adjusting Cholesterol Levels To Normal
The first step in reducing overall cholesterol levels to normal is diet and exercise. A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in fat and cholesterol can help. Regular and frequent exercise can also help. If you smoke, stop and while helping to control your cholesterol you will improve your overall health too.
Even after adopting these lifestyle changes you may not bring your cholesterol test results into a normal range. Your doctor may decide that taking one of the many cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins might work for you. These drugs may have mild side effects that disappear with continued use. Normal cholesterol levels can be achieved quickly with the use of these drugs.
Other natural or non-drug treatments are available. Holistic approaches to health care can bring positive results with fewer side effects. Your doctor may not have much information about these methods so you may have to do the research yourself. Go to a respected health food store or search the Internet to find natural ways to achieve normal cholesterol levels. Just be very careful not to purchase expensive and unproven dietary supplements that claim to cure high cholesterol. They may contain ingredients that actually do more harm than good.
Low Cholesterol Diet Tips
If your doctor tells you that you have high cholesterol and that you need to switch to a low cholesterol diet you are likely thinking that your entire culinary life is going to change. However, you still have lots of options open to you with a low cholesterol diet and you can still have flavor in your diet. Even though your diet is low in fat you can use smart meal planning and some creative ideas you can have a meal that is high in flavor. In addition, you can have fun exploring different way to eat hearth healthy and creating a low cholesterol diet menu.
Although this doesn’t mean you won’t have to make changes. A low cholesterol diet will require you to make some major changes and the plan is not favorable to eating lunch or dinner from a paper sack. But when it comes to preparing meals with items naturally low in cholesterol you can still have a fantastic and enjoyable meal. There is no reason to think that a low cholesterol diet means bland food and nothing good to eat.
What To Eat
You will have to focus more on low-fat foods with a low cholesterol diet which means you will have to shift your eating and buying habits some. You will have to find healthier options to the whole milk, straight butter and sour cream. Although for foods such as these there are low cholesterol alternatives that are rather tasteful.
Consider foods that are high in fiber since these are natural cholesterol fighters. You can add flavor to any mean with whole grain wheat, whole grain rice, bran and other similar foods. At the same time you will be reducing your bad cholesterol levels that can affect your body.
Any low cholesterol diet welcomes fresh vegetables and fruits. Although you should use other seasonings beside butter. Some great choices are pepper, paprika and garlic. You should not use salt in abundance and probably not at all. Go with a low-fat alternative if you must have butter.
A lot of red meats in your diet can also cause high cholesterol. So consider only eating red meat for special occasions and instead make most of your menu foods with chicken, turkey, fish or white meat pork. The less fat in the meats then the less likely they will have cholesterol with them.
You will not longer be able to deep fry with oil, but you can still find options with different oils. You can use olive oil while cooking which an excellent product to help the heart. When it comes to oils it is best to talk with your doctor or nutritionist for suggestions.
Although this doesn’t mean you won’t have to make changes. A low cholesterol diet will require you to make some major changes and the plan is not favorable to eating lunch or dinner from a paper sack. But when it comes to preparing meals with items naturally low in cholesterol you can still have a fantastic and enjoyable meal. There is no reason to think that a low cholesterol diet means bland food and nothing good to eat.
What To Eat
You will have to focus more on low-fat foods with a low cholesterol diet which means you will have to shift your eating and buying habits some. You will have to find healthier options to the whole milk, straight butter and sour cream. Although for foods such as these there are low cholesterol alternatives that are rather tasteful.
Consider foods that are high in fiber since these are natural cholesterol fighters. You can add flavor to any mean with whole grain wheat, whole grain rice, bran and other similar foods. At the same time you will be reducing your bad cholesterol levels that can affect your body.
Any low cholesterol diet welcomes fresh vegetables and fruits. Although you should use other seasonings beside butter. Some great choices are pepper, paprika and garlic. You should not use salt in abundance and probably not at all. Go with a low-fat alternative if you must have butter.
A lot of red meats in your diet can also cause high cholesterol. So consider only eating red meat for special occasions and instead make most of your menu foods with chicken, turkey, fish or white meat pork. The less fat in the meats then the less likely they will have cholesterol with them.
You will not longer be able to deep fry with oil, but you can still find options with different oils. You can use olive oil while cooking which an excellent product to help the heart. When it comes to oils it is best to talk with your doctor or nutritionist for suggestions.
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