Cholesterol and heart disease: how to address them?

Cholesterol – The dreaded word, which most Indians believe is a sign of a heart related problem. However, this is not completely true. Cholesterol is a waxy fatty substance present in the cells of the body. It is found in certain types of food and is also made in the body. It is essential for the body to be able to produce vitamin D, hormones and other factors necessary to digest food.

Like everything else, excess cholesterol is harmful to the body and is the main cause of many cardiovascular diseases. But what is truly harmful is that there are no visible signs to recognize that someone has high blood cholesterol. As a slow poison, it could continue to damage your body from within until one day you realize it, perhaps after some serious damage has been done to your system.

The liver produces 80% of the required cholesterol and the rest is available to the body through food. Such as foods derived from animal products such as cheese, meat, poultry, fish.

Lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the blood. There are four types of lipoproteins in the body:

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good cholesterol”
• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad cholesterol”
• Very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), which are really bad forms of cholesterol
• Chylomicrons actually have very little cholesterol but a lot of another harmful fat called triglycerides.

Who is safe?

People often fool themselves into thinking that they cannot have a certain disease. Similar with cholesterol. Women think they can’t have high cholesterol; it is likely that only men have it. Some believe that only once they cross fifty do they have to worry about cholesterol. Some even think that being skinny is their ticket to safety. Unfortunately, all of them are wrong. Anyone can have high cholesterol.

In fact, one should start getting checked after the age of 20. With the advent of smartphones and computers, the younger generation has embraced a sedentary lifestyle in which exercise has been reduced to a simple tap on the screen of their phones. Food options have also shifted from simple but healthy fare to dishes drenched in butter and garnished with extra cheese. Putting them at greater risk of high cholesterol levels.

If you are overweight or have a family history of high cholesterol or if you have other diseases such as diabetes, you should be very careful. Smokers or obese people should also get tested regularly.

The guilty foods

A heart-healthy diet and plenty of exercise can help you control excess cholesterol. Avoid foods high in saturated fat. The animal produces like the calf; pork, beef, eggs, milk, and cheese are the usual suspects.

Coconut oil, palm oil or cocoa butter are equally guilty. And finally, your favorite snacks like cookies and chips are loaded with saturated fat. Stay away from these as much as possible.

What are the signs?

High cholesterol is a disease in disguise. He never shows any symptoms. Most people discover it only when it results in a more serious health problem like

• A heart attack – caused by blockage of the arteries of the heart
• Angina – pain caused by narrowing of the arteries
• Stroke: Caused by blockage of arteries in the neck or brain.
• Pain when walking – caused by a blockage in an artery in the leg

What I can do?

Regular tests can help detect and treat high cholesterol.

Keeping in mind the Indian lifestyle, doctors suggest that your first test should be done at the age of 20, to determine your cholesterol baseline and then you should get tested every 5 years. If you have a family history or other diseases or lifestyle as mentioned above, you should get tested more often.

Adults with coronary artery disease should be tested at least once a year, as should those with diabetes and high blood pressure.

The lipid panel and lipid profile are the most common tests to check cholesterol levels, which can be performed at almost all diagnostic centers. But if you see your doctor, after a physical exam, he or she might also suggest other tests.

Following a healthy lifestyle and having regular preventative diagnostic tests is the key to enjoying a good healthy life and keeping all other health problems created by cholesterol at bay.

Live healthy to enjoy life fully!!