It is a known medical fact that too much cholesterol causes many medical problems...especially for seniors.
First of all, what is cholesterol?
It is a waxy compound, similar to fat, which belongs to a class of molecules called steroids. It is found naturally in many foods, in your bloodstream, and in all the cells of your body. If you held cholesterol in your hand, it would probably feel a bit like a soft, melted candle.
Accumulating over time in your blood vessels, cholesterol can clog your arteries, including the arteries in your heart. In addition, once out of control, cholesterol can cause massive heart attacks, a stroke, or even a series of strokes.
Simple fact: If you have high cholesterol, it isn't good for you.
You, however, have the power within you to take control of your cholesterol levels.
Failing to take control only leads to problems. The problems will accumulate and wear you down until finally abnormal aging takes your life. You can gain control by regular exercise, and by eating the right foods. Visiting your doctor regularly is another way to work toward healthy aging. Your family doctor can prescribe medication to take to help lower your cholesterol.
So, you are probably asking, "What can I do about my cholesterol?"
When you have high cholesterol, it is important that you eat right and exercise daily to help lower your cholesterol. It will take some time to get your cholesterol under control, but it will happen if you take action now. However, remember that for some people, exercise and diet will not be enough, and cholesterol-lowering medication may be necessary as well.
If you are fortunate enough to not yet be in the "high cholesterol" category, are at the lower end of the bad levels, or just want to do a little more to protect yourself, you might try natural over-the-counter products such as Hypercet Cholesterol Product from Health Buy online health and beauty store or the Shaklee Cholesterol Reduction Complex.
You also want to make some time for yourself. Fun activities, socializing, or some sort of exercise to keep you active can all help you maintain your cholesterol levels at a healthy, or at least healthier, level.
Once cholesterol is out of control in the body, you are in danger of arteriosclerosis, which used to be commonly called "hardening of the arteries". Arteriosclerosis is a condition in which cholesterol begins to build up on the walls of blood vessels, restricting blood flow and robbing the veins and arteries of their natural flexibility which would normally help keep blood pressure levels low.
If you lower your cholesterol by taking action now you can avoid strokes, heart attacks, and even death.
Chat with your doctor or do a little online research to learn more about statins used to control cholesterol.
You should also avoid smoking to help lower your cholesterol. If you are having trouble trying to quit smoking, there are many products such as Smoke Deter which can help, and, which is also available from Health Buy.
The long and short of it is that you can lower your risk of diabetes, heart attack, and obesity and so on by controlling your cholesterol.
Keep in mind that when we discuss high cholesterol, things can get
confusing because there are LDL (low density lipoprotein), and HDL
(high density lipoprotein). The worst type is the LDL. HDL cholesterol
at higher levels is actually a good thing. HDL helps rid the body of
LDL which is the stuff that clogs arteries, can cause high blood
pressure, and makes you more susceptible to heart attack and stroke. If
LDL levels, combined with triglycerides, another type of fat in the
blood, increase, thus your chances of stroke or heart attacks are even
higher.
What kind of foods have cholesterol?
There is cholesterol in all foods in less it has cholesterol free on the package. Some food has more in it then others. Like your
cooking oils and grease has a lot of cholesterol in it, some of your bread has cholesterol. Eggs are very high cholesterol foods and so are
fatty meats and butters. You have to read the back of the packages to determine the level of cholesterol.
What can happen to me if my cholesterol is too high?
The only way that you can tell if your cholesterol is too high is to go to your doctor and get a blood test. If you are going to your family
doctor like you are supposed to, you will have it checked regularly anyway.
However, some of the things that can happen to you if it is high is
that your arteries will harden. This means your body is building fats
and too much cholesterol. The normal or average reading should be 140
or 130 over 200 mg/dl. If you can maintain this level, you will be ok.
If the LDL cholesterol level in your body gets too high, it "hardens" within the arteries. This means the blood will not flow through to the heart, making it to have to pump at unnatural rates, working harder to keep you alive.
High cholesterol levels can also lead to diabetes and other illnesses.
Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol
When the doctor takes your blood pressure, you see two numbers as a result. Now, there is actually a "range" of readings which can be considered "normal" blood pressure. Also, normal, health blood pressure can vary from individual to individual. Remember too, that because blood pressure reflects several different factors, such as physical and mental stress, energy level, and health of the individual, one person may have several different readings throughout a single day. This is why doctors really like to see blood pressure readings over time to help assess the health of the individual.
The two numbers in a blood pressure reading are the "systolic" and
"diastolic" pressure. The systolic reading measures the pressure in the
arteries when the heart is pumping blook. The diastolic
pressure is what is measured when the heart is filling buck up for the
next pump, or beat. A high diastolic reading may indicate
high cholesterol build up blocking the ability of the heart to refill
its chambers. Additionally, arteries loaded with cholesterol
increase the pressure during the systolic cycle just as pressure builds
up in a garden hose being pinched.
Since the heart is not getting enough blood, and has to pump harder to
distribute the blood available to it, it has to work harder to do its
job. Additionally, when blood is not moving through the body,
it tends to pool, and this pooling can lead to clotting which can, in
turn, lead to heart attack or stroke.
By Donovan Baldwin
Health and Beauty Store
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