Cholesterol is of two types, good and bad. We tell you more...
We’ve all heard about cholesterol at some point in our lives — why too much of it is a cause for concern and how one should keep it in check. But how many of us know what exactly it is? Interventional Cardiogialist Dr Rajiv G Bhagwat says that cholesterol is of two types — good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. “Cholesterol is a vital part of our bodies and cell structure. High cholesterol in the blood and an injury to the arterial wall begins the process of block formation, which is called cholesterol plaques. This progress can be gradual or rapid and causes narrowing of arteries leading to cardiovascular and other diseases. Sources of good cholesterol include salmon, tuna, walnut, almond and moderate consumption of wine/alcohol. Sources of bad cholesterol are meat, prawns, egg yellow, mangoes and fried food. The ideal balance is to have low levels of bad cholesterol and high levels of good cholesterol,” he says.
Diagnosis
Go for regular medical check-ups. Know your family history — have your parents had any sort of heart diseases or diabetes? Preferably go to a doctor who is aware of your family history and treatment modalities.
Cardiothoriac surgeon, Dr Arun Mehra says that cholesterol comes from the Greek word chole, meaning bile, and the Greek word stereos, meaning solid, stiff. “Cholesterol is a fat (lipid), which is produced by the liver and crucial for normal body functioning. It builds and maintains cell membrane. Cholesterol exists in the outer layer of every cell in our body and has many functions. Without it, the human body can’t survive. It is excreted by the liver via the bile into the digestive tract. Typically, about 50 per cent of the excreted cholesterol is re-absorbed by the small bowel back into the bloodstream.
“The main causes of high cholesterol include nutrition (food that is high in saturated fats including red meat, some pies, sausages, hard cheese, pastry, cakes, most biscuits and cream), sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, smoking and alcohol, diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), kidney and liver diseases, under-active thyroid gland, genes (people with close family members who have had a coronary heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol or high blood lipids have a greater risk of high blood cholesterol levels), sex (men have a greater chance of having high blood cholesterol levels than women), age (as you get older your chances of developing atherosclerosis increase) or early menopause. High cholesterol levels can cause higher coronary heart disease risk, heart attacks, angina and other cardiovascular conditions, strokes or ministrokes,” he says.
What you can do
Exercise regularly, eating adequate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oats, good quality fats and avoid foods with saturated fats. Get plenty of sleep (eight hours each night) and try to bring your body weight back to normal. Avoid excess alcohol and smoking. If your cholesterol levels are still high after doing everything mentioned above, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drug.
We’ve all heard about cholesterol at some point in our lives — why too much of it is a cause for concern and how one should keep it in check. But how many of us know what exactly it is? Interventional Cardiogialist Dr Rajiv G Bhagwat says that cholesterol is of two types — good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. “Cholesterol is a vital part of our bodies and cell structure. High cholesterol in the blood and an injury to the arterial wall begins the process of block formation, which is called cholesterol plaques. This progress can be gradual or rapid and causes narrowing of arteries leading to cardiovascular and other diseases. Sources of good cholesterol include salmon, tuna, walnut, almond and moderate consumption of wine/alcohol. Sources of bad cholesterol are meat, prawns, egg yellow, mangoes and fried food. The ideal balance is to have low levels of bad cholesterol and high levels of good cholesterol,” he says.
Diagnosis
Go for regular medical check-ups. Know your family history — have your parents had any sort of heart diseases or diabetes? Preferably go to a doctor who is aware of your family history and treatment modalities.
Cardiothoriac surgeon, Dr Arun Mehra says that cholesterol comes from the Greek word chole, meaning bile, and the Greek word stereos, meaning solid, stiff. “Cholesterol is a fat (lipid), which is produced by the liver and crucial for normal body functioning. It builds and maintains cell membrane. Cholesterol exists in the outer layer of every cell in our body and has many functions. Without it, the human body can’t survive. It is excreted by the liver via the bile into the digestive tract. Typically, about 50 per cent of the excreted cholesterol is re-absorbed by the small bowel back into the bloodstream.
“The main causes of high cholesterol include nutrition (food that is high in saturated fats including red meat, some pies, sausages, hard cheese, pastry, cakes, most biscuits and cream), sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, smoking and alcohol, diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), kidney and liver diseases, under-active thyroid gland, genes (people with close family members who have had a coronary heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol or high blood lipids have a greater risk of high blood cholesterol levels), sex (men have a greater chance of having high blood cholesterol levels than women), age (as you get older your chances of developing atherosclerosis increase) or early menopause. High cholesterol levels can cause higher coronary heart disease risk, heart attacks, angina and other cardiovascular conditions, strokes or ministrokes,” he says.
What you can do
Exercise regularly, eating adequate fruits, vegetables, whole grains, oats, good quality fats and avoid foods with saturated fats. Get plenty of sleep (eight hours each night) and try to bring your body weight back to normal. Avoid excess alcohol and smoking. If your cholesterol levels are still high after doing everything mentioned above, your doctor may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drug.