Do you personally need a lower cholesterol reading to help reduce heart disease risk? If you do not know the answer, then it is highly important that you consult your doctor to have tests taken. There are multiple risks involved, if untreated.
Many people do not realize that high cholesterol plays a role in increasing the chance of developing heart disease. Paying attention to having a lower cholesterol reading is important.
Cholesterol is not all bad as it is an essential building block for new cells; it produces hormones in the body and it serves as insulation for nerves. Cholesterol comes from two sources - it is produced by the liver and also comes from food sources that are animal based, examples being eggs, meat and milk. A certain amount of cholesterol is necessary but when it gets to be too much, it constitutes a high risk factor for heart disease. At that point, achieving a lower cholesterol reading is extremely important.
High cholesterol is a widespread problem. When there is too much cholesterol circulating in the blood it ends up building up in the artery walls and if this problem is left unchecked then atherosclerosis (or hardening of the arteries) takes place. The arteries do not really harden but they instead narrow and cause blood flow to and from the muscle of the heart to become blocked or slowed down tremendously. Blood carries oxygen back and forth to the heart and a narrowing of the walls of the arteries makes it difficult for the sufficient passage of blood and oxygen to take place. Chest discomfort and pain is often noted when atherosclerosis is taking place. When the supply of blood is totally cut off to any areas of the heart, the consequence of this is a heart attack.
There are basically two different kinds of cholesterol. There is the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is often commonly called in laymans terms, "bad" cholesterol and the high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is the "good" cholesterol. The letters correspond with how the cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream and delineate the amount of proteins and cholesterol. For example, LDL has a great deal of cholesterol but a minimum of protein whereas HDL has lower cholesterol (minimal) and a tremendous amount of protein. It is LDL cholesterol that is responsible for causing plaque to clog the arteries whereas the HDL or good cholesterol helps get rid of the bad cholesterol from the bloodstream. Another type of fat that is found in the bloodstream is triglyceride. More and more research is being done into triglycerides all of the time and they have been found in high amounts to be connected with the development of heart disease.
High cholesterol in and of itself does not produce any symptoms therefore it is essential to have your cholesterol levels checked through a simple blood test in order to determine what your HDL and LDL levels are. It is recommended by the medical community that every individual over the age of 20 years should have their cholesterol levels checks at least once in a five-year period. The blood analysis that is used to determine cholesterol levels is known as a lipoprotein profile. Four measurements will be taken on a cholesterol test and these include the total cholesterol level, the LDL "bad" cholesterol, the HDL "good" cholesterol and the triglycerides.
A person whose total cholesterol is less than 200 (lower cholesterol) is at a desirable rate; total cholesterol that is 200 to 239 is borderline high and 240 and over is high. LDL cholesterol that is less than 100 is optimal, while 100 to 129 is near optimal or above optimal and with HDL, the higher the number, the better it is. HDL cholesterol that measures 60 or more is at a desirable rate while less than 400 considered a major risk factor. Triglycerides that are less than 150 are at a normal or desirable rate while 150 to 199 is borderline high and 200 or more is high and may necessitate the need for medication in some individuals.
We have often heard about the health benefits that result from eating fish and other foods rich in Omega-3 oils. Fish is one of the riches sources of foods with Omega-3 oils, but there are also other foods such as nuts. These foods help maintain the health of individuals and in some cases prevents various types of diseases. You may have heard that eating fish is great for developing an unborn child's brain because of the Omega-3 oils. Of particular importance to persons with diabetes and persons with a family history of diabetes is that there are many positive findings in various studies that are attributable to Omega-3 oils. In one study the Journal of the American Medical Association has reported that can cut the chance of a risk of developing type-1 diabetes by about 55%. In another study conducted in Norway the same relationship was found.
Other studies have found that there is a direct relationship between the consumption of fish an fish oils and the risk of coronary heart disease and also sudden cardiac death. In a study at the Harvard Medical School it was found that women with type 2 diabetes that consumed fish once a week had a 40% lower risk of coronary heart disease than women that consumed fish only once a month. Eating fish 5 times a per weekend reduced the risk of coronary heart disease by 64% and the risk of death by 52%. The only type of seafood that showed a beneficial effect in this study mortality was dark meat fish, mackerel, salmon, sardines, bluefish, swordfish, shrimp, lobster, and scallops. Even though these studies indicate great benefit from consuming these fish, some fish should not be regularly eaten. Swordfish, bluefish, and king mackerel have high levels of mercury and should not be regularly eaten and should never be eaten by pregnant women.
One of the reasons by type II diabetes leads to coronary heart disease is because of high blood levels of triglycerides. Many studies have found that the triglycerides are lowed by the fish oils. In studies it has been shown that even though the fish oils do not affect the glucose levels the triglyceride levels were reduced substantially. In one study in Norway it was found that fish oil also reduced blood pressure in people with hypertension. High blood pressure, hypertension, and high cholesterol is often found in people with type 2 diabetes.
Based on these findings researchers recommend a diet which includes consumption of sea food for all type 2 diabetics. Seafood should be consumed two to three times a week or in the alternative type 2 diabetics can substitute a sea food meal with fish oil in capsules form in the amounts of two to three grams per day.
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