Tuesday’s Tip|Cholesterol and You|Part 1

We’ve all heard about cholesterol, high-cholesterol, LDL’s, and HDL’s. We all associate those terms to heart health and know they are related to heart attacks or strokes. But what do those terms really mean and what should you be doing about it. Remember your heart health is serious and should be something you discuss with your doctor before making any changes.

The American Heart Association estimates that nearly 36 million American adults have high cholesterol and most may not suffer any symptoms. High cholesterol is a hidden marker that can help us understand and possibly prevent serious heart issues such as strokes or heart attacks.

My family has a history of heart disease, so I’ve grown up surrounded by these terms. While I heard them spoken, they didn’t really mean much to me until I had my own numbers checked. The results made me start doing some of my own research. My numbers weren’t bad enough to require medications (yet), but they were bad enough to force me to examine some lifestyle choices I could do to improve my numbers and hopefully avoid (or delay) using drugs to control my cholesterol. This series explores the homeopathic suggestions I received and combines the research I uncovered around each suggestion.

Before getting to the tips I should cover some background. Here are some definitions from Mayo Clinic to help clarify the terms we’ll be using the numbers to watch.

Definitions

Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood. High levels of cholesterol in the blood can block the arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol is also found in many foods; there is not clear evidence on how directly (or indirectly) dietary cholesterol affects blood cholesterol levels.

Lipoprotein

A lipoprotein is a combination of a lipid (fat) and a protein. Lipoproteins are how the body transports fats, specifically cholesterol for our discussion, around the body.

Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) – Bad Cholesterol

These lipoproteins transport fats (cholesterol) from the liver to different parts of the body. LDLs are often
described as sticky because they can build up on the insides of blood vessel walls. This build up occurs when there
is more cholesterol in your blood than the body requires. This excess is what builds up into plaque, restricting blood flow and causes coronary artery disease.

High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) – Good Cholesterol

These lipoproteins collect cholesterol in the blood and deliver it to the liver where it is broken down. Having higher levels of HDLs reduces the cholesterol in your blood.

The Numbers

There are many numbers involved in diagnosing, preventing, and treating high cholesterol this page is by no means a complete resource. Instead this page explores two main numbers: LDL and HDL levels.

LDL – The Bad

Lower is better.

That may be way to simplistic, but I think it is an important statement to keep in mind. If there are simple ways to change how you live that can reduce your risks and improve your health — do it. That is a consistent theme when I read about LDL, get it lower and get is as low as you can.

There are three values that are consistently stated for LDL levels:

• 130 mg/dL – Upper limit for most people.
• 100 mg/dL – If you are at risk for heart disease you should aim to keep your LDL levels below this threshold. Research seems to indicate that at this level your body will not be building plaque. This is a stabilization level where plaque isn’t increasing, but it isn’t decreasing either.
• 70 mg/dL – With a high risk of heart disease you will want to aim to get your LDL levels below this threshold. At this point it appears that the body will actually start recovering the cholesterol that has been deposited in plaque along the arteries.

HDL – The Good

Crank it up.

Out with the bad and in with the good. The saying is so fitting with LDL and HDL levels. As you work to decrease your LDL levels it is important to also make sure your HDL levels are up where they need to be. There are three ranges that are often described for HDL levels:

• Below 40 mg/dL – often this level is described as an increased risk of coronary artery disease. Just not enough good in the system.
• 40 – 60 mg/dL – normal. Not much is said about this range – it is just there. Your body probably has enough high-density lipoproteins to pull the cholesterol from your system; probably.
• Greater than 60 mg/dL – When your HDL gets into this range is may actually protect you from heart disease. Your blood is filled with high-density lipoproteins actively scavenging your system for unused cholesterol and getting it out of the systems.

The Tips Ahead

So if you don’t know your numbers already, go get your them. Have your blood tested and know your numbers. The most common advise I’ve seen is to start tracking this at age 20 as part of your annual physical. Personally I wasn’t as diligent and didn’t get my numbers until earlier this year when I was 42.

With the results from your numbers ask your doctor about their suggestions, then stay tuned. In the coming weeks I’ll be expanding on the suggestions I was given and the supporting research I uncovered on each tip. There will be five weeks of tips and we’ll cover two ideas each week. Together we will find ways to be out with the bad (LDL) and in with the good (HDL).