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[C624]Cholesterol Levels In Children

by Dr. April Davall, Dr.

Modern high pressure lifestyles often result in stress with its concomitant health problems like cardiovascular diseases associated with high blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is a lipid, or fat, needed for building cell membranes. It comes either from diet or is otherwise manufactured by the body (endogenous cholesterol). The lipid is combined with certain proteins by the liver to make lipoproteins which carry the lipid through the bloodstream, to the cells. There are two types of lipoproteins. One is low density lipoprotein (LDL) and the other is high density lipoprotein (HDL). While cholesterol is essential for the cells and for making certain hormones, too high a concentration in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease.

Cholesterol in the blood comes preponderantly from LDL while a small portion is from HDL. The risk of coronary disease from cholesterol comes chiefly from the so called ?bad? LDL cholesterol. If the level of LDL is too high, deposition of fat (lipid), as plaque, occurs on the artery walls, narrowing them. This often leads to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Hence a low level of LDL is desirable. The HDL cholesterol is thought to scour the artery walls of deposited plaque, and is therefore called ?good?. Hence the higher the level of HDL, the better it is.

To stay healthy, the aim should be to reduce the LDL cholesterol level; increase the HDL level; and maintain the total cholesterol level within normal limits i.e. desirable levels which correspond to lower risk of heart diseases. As per the American Heart Association (AHA), less than 200 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) i.e. < 200 mg/dL, corresponding to < 5.2 mmol/Lt (millimole per liter) of total cholesterol is the desirable (low heart disease risk) level; 200 to 239 mg/dL (5.2-6.2 mmol/Lt) is a borderline high risk level; and greater than 240 mg/dL (> 6.2 mmol/Lt) is the high risk category. Considering that LDL and HDL cholesterols are determined separately, the desired upper limit for the ?bad? LDL cholesterol is considered to be 100mg/dL (2.6 mmol/Lt). In the case of the ?good? HDL, >60 mg/dL is considered the best.

There are a number of medicines available to reduce cholesterol levels, including the ?statin? group of drugs. However, the first option, before use of drugs, should be the non-prescription route of diet, physical exercise and weight loss ? a tried and tested method when other reasons for high cholesterol level, like previous history of artery disease, do not exist.

Nowadays, everyone seems to be worryingabout high cholesterol levels and how bad it is for our health. It is true thathigh levels of cholesterol are not good for your heart as it damages it slowlymaking you more susceptible to a stroke or heart attack. However, it isactually possible to reduce cholesterol by taking medication and introducingsome lifestyle changes.

First of all, let's define cholesterol.Cholesterol is a soft waxy liquid which does not dissolve in the blood. It isresponsible for production of cell membrane and certain hormones. It comes fromtwo sources: the animal fat we eat and our body produces cholesterol using thetrans fats in different products that we eat. However, not all cholesterol isbad.

TwoTypes Of Cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol: theLDL (low density lipoprotein) and the HDL (high density lipoprotein). LDL isthe ?bad' cholesterol. This type builds up inside the blood vessels in the formof plaque. This can restrict blood flow to the heart, and if they burst and thecontents spill out, clots are formed. The clots, in turn block small bloodvessels in the heart. This causes a heart attack. If the clots travel up to thebrain, it can cause a stroke. HDL is the ?good? cholesterol which protects thebody. Researchers have confirmed that it actually reduces the risk of a heartattack. An interesting thing to mention here is that women have more HDL thanmen. This is because in men the hormones progesterone and testosterone tend tolower their HDL or ?good? cholesterol.

WhatDo The Cholesterol Numbers Tell Us?

You must get your blood tests done regularlyto check for the cholesterol level, as even high levels may not show anysymptoms at all. The optimal total cholesterol in men is under 200mg/dL. If itis between 200mg/dL and 239 mg/dL, you are on borderline of the high risk zone.If the level is above 240 mg/dL, you are high risk and your doctor willdefinitely put you on medication and suggest certain lifestyle changes.

The complete lipoprotein profile consists ofthree elements: LDL, HDL and triglycerides. The optimal or desired level of LDLin men is below 100 mg/dL, above that means more risk for the heart. The HDLshould be between 40mg/dL to 50mg/dL, anything below that will put you at riskfor heart disease. The triglycerides are the chemical form in which fats existsin your body. Triglyceride level that is less than 150 is normal, 150-199 is atborderline, but anything above 200 is high and puts you at a great risk ofcoronary heart diseases.

If you are detected to be a borderline riskcase or at high risk, your doctor will recommend daily medication as welladvise you to maintain a healthy weight, avoid smoking, increase physicalactivity, and eat a diet that is healthy for the heart.

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Both Dr. April Davall & Davis are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Dr. April Davall has sinced written about articles on various topics from High Cholesterol, Acne Treatment and Hair Care. Dr. April Davall is SEO of , her goal is to tell you All about Cholesterol, from cholesterol diet to heart disease. You can learn and print out almost anythi. Dr. April Davall's top article generates over 1600 views. to your Favourites.

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