If your doctor has been lecturing you on lowering your cholesterol, you may wonder why your cholesterol level is so important. A high cholesterol level is bad because it can result in heart disease, heart attack or stroke when cholesterol is allowed to build up in your arteries. High cholesterol should be taken very seriously and steps taken to reduce your level.
First, cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance produced by the body. In fact, the body produces all the cholesterol that it needs for normal function. It is when this cholesterol is increased by what you take in through the foods that you eat that levels can become too high. This is especially true when you eat a lot of high fat foods. When the cholesterol levels in your blood rise above the normal levels some of this cholesterol is left behind in your vessels and arteries and can eventually result in a hardened plaque lining inside the vessels.
High cholesterol levels bring on a heart attack in a four step process. First, the lining of the arteries are weakened by the cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol moves out of the bloodstream into the artery walls, it causes them to either constrict or relax. These changes in the artery walls cause the walls to weaken, allowing the cholesterol to penetrate deeper. The changes also cause disruption in blood pressure and blood flow.
Next, the changes in the artery lining cause the body to respond to the changes. The body reacts as it would to an inflammation, sending immune cells called macrophages to the site of the damage. The macrophages try to clear away the LDL cholesterol but only succeed in creating "foamy" cells that make the clogging worse. As more LDL cholesterol is deposited, more macrophages come to the area, and the clogging becomes a deadly cycle.
In a final attempt to clear up what it sees as inflammation, the artery walls create a fibrous material which eventually forms a cap over the damaged area. This is how the plaque forms that doctors say is responsible for clogging your arteries. If this clogging occurs in an artery that feeds the heart muscle, the muscle is denied oxygen and nutrients and the heart muscle is weakened. As more LDL cholesterol and macrophages collect in the area, the plaque cap on the artery thins.
The final step in a heart attack occurs when this ever thinning plaque cap ruptures allowing blood to seep into the artery wall. This causes the body to react by releasing platelets, or clotting factor, to the area. This causes a clot to form in the artery. If this clot forms in a coronary artery, the result is a heart attack.
Research shows that the higher your cholesterol level, the greater your risk for having heart disease. Any cholesterol level higher than 240mg/dL puts you at risk for heart disease. A high cholesterol level combined with cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and a family history of heart disease can increase your risk even more.
Reducing your high cholesterol level can have dramatic health effects. As well as decreasing your risk for stroke and heart attack, lowering a high cholesterol level can make you a healthier individual altogether.
Related Articles
What are Plant Sterol and Stanol and How Useful are They to our Health?
By: Groshan Fabiola | 25/04/2007 | Health
Many people worry about their health and try to protect its integrity as much as possible. People have heard about walnuts, salmon, and oatmeal and know that these foods are good in lowering the level of cholesterol in blood. But not many people have heard about sterols and stanols and their usefulness to us
In contact dermatitis is important to determine what caused the irritation, and to avoid that factor. Helping in relieving redness and itching can be creams containing hydrocortisone or wet
By: | 31/12/1969 |
Put an End to the Cholesterol and the Kilos in Excess Without Medicine (part Vi)
By: Patrick Beaufay | 19/09/2007 | Health
How to reduce your bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) and triglycerides and how to higher your good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) in a good way. Certain foods are good for your diet but a few of these are very bad for your cholesterol and certain modes of cooking are proscribed. In this 6th article, I present to you: Medicine against the cholesterol is not the ransom of glory and the practice of a sport is an essential complement with your diet.
Diet Plan For Cholesterol
By: Paul Hata | 16/08/2008 | Diseases and Conditions
If you are trying to formulate a low cholesterol diet plan, you should be able to have a clear idea of what you will be doing and what it will take. Knowing and understanding your objectives of following a low cholesterol diet will make you more likely adhere to it more sincerely and in the long term and not just as a fad diet that can come and go.
Wellness Medicine
By: Dr Darryl Chew | 21/09/2005 | Weight Loss
Jumped
on the bandwagon, eliminating fat and high-cholesterol foods
from our diets. Well, unfortunately, we were doing it all wrong.
Instead of eliminating fat completely,.
Lowering Your Cholesterol With Medications
By: Heather Colman | 07/11/2006 | Non-Fiction
High levels of cholesterol have been linked to heart disease. When these measures alone are not sufficiently maintaining the cholesterol levels then cholesterol medications may be required.
Are you at Risk From High Cholesterol?
By: Wendy Hearn | 07/02/2007 | Health
If you are like most people in the industrialized nations the chances are pretty strong that you will be at risk from high cholesterol. Our hectic lifestyles and shortage of time has driven us to the fast food lane and this is where we are at the highest risk.
By: | 31/12/1969 |
Latest Non-Fiction Articles
Don't Let Good Grammar Spoil Good Writing
By: Philip Yaffe | 19/08/2008
Good grammar is fundamental to good writing, right? Wrong. However, years of experience working with people who use English as a second or third language have demonstrated that focusing too much on grammar can actually be detrimental to good writing. It's a question of priorities.
Modern Helicopters-the Eh-101 Merlin
By: K. Crockett | 16/08/2008
AgustaWestland is a joint venture formed by Agusta of Italy, makers of the A-109, and Westland of Great Britain, makers of the Lynx. The EH-101 is a direct competitor to the Sikorsky S-92 and was developed for both military and civil roles.
Animals
By: shivani suraiya | 15/08/2008
All about animals. About their origin, their lifestyles and their habitats including some interesting facts on different subjets. mostly based on mammals overing all extinct mammals around the world and which are not very well known.
The Three Speech Writing SECRETS You MUST Know - The Definitive Speech Writing How to Guide
By: Stuart Brown | 15/08/2008
In this article I am going to explore several techniques as to how you can improve your speech writing abilities, and also how to approach writing a speech for certain different circumstances. Whether it be for a wedding, where perhaps you are the best man, or for an important business meeting where you really need to impress. And tell you the three secret ingredients every speech needs.
Writing Your Thoughts – the Carrot and Stick Strategy
By: Nick Sanders | 14/08/2008
When you are writing, having a strategy in mind is rather useful – especially when you are wanting your reader to commit to something or someone. You will want to lead the reader in the direction you intend to finish upon and don’t want to cause confusion and misdirection in your writing. Here are a few tips on the carrot and stick strategy of writing that is good to use in a time of need.
Science: Guaranteed to Curb Creative Thinking!
By: Natasha | 13/08/2008
In today's sci- fi world dominated by facts and figures, the essence of life and belief in God's miracles have been thrust aside as illogical and futile, nonetheless God NEVER fails to surprise us....
How to Develop Your Book’s Structure
By: Melinda Copp | 12/08/2008
A man came to me last week because he needed help writing his book. He told me that he’s had this project on his to-do list for years, but he just couldn’t seem to get started. He’s literally been staring at the task—start writing my book—almost every day, and when he came to me, he still hadn’t done it.
How to Write a Bibliography
By: Stuart Brown | 11/08/2008
If you're like me, you probably put your heart and soul into creating a wonderful paper, essay or article. You know that you conducted the necessary research and that you wrote a sound paper. However, you are now at the end and you may be wondering, how can you write a bibliography? Well, I am here to tell you how.
More from Riley Hendersen
The Cause Of Acne Is Not Easy To Pinpoint
By: Riley Hendersen | 20/06/2007 | Non-Fiction
In many medical conditions, finding the cause can often lead to the cure. When the condition happens to be acne, that prospect can become rather muddied. The cause of acne doesn't lie with any single culprit in every case. The reasons for the appearance of this condition generally vary from person to person.
Is An Acne Cure Out There?
By: Riley Hendersen | 14/06/2007 | Non-Fiction
While the prospect of actually having to take time to find an acne cure likely won't please those in the throes of a major breakout, there is hope. The variety of different proven treatments is rather spectacular. With a little effort, it is more than possible for most acne sufferers to find one that helps them out at least a little if not a whole lot.
Adult Acne Is A Real Concern For Many
By: Riley Hendersen | 08/06/2007 | Non-Fiction
Many teenagers endure the agony that is acne with one thought in mind: Someday it will go away. While this is true for many, the reality is this condition can reappear later in life. For about a quarter of the male population and half the female, adult acne is an unwelcome reminder of adolescence. According to many physicians, adult acne is a fairly common occurrence.
Use These 7 Acne Skin Care Tips To Ensure Healthy Skin
By: Riley Hendersen | 04/06/2007 | Non-Fiction
There's an old saying that people should take care of the skin they're in. While this absolutely correct, those who suffer from acne might have a harder time of it. Handling skin that's prone to break outs, blemishes and even scarring can present challenges, to say the least. There are some solid acne skin care tips that can help.
Read Labels Carefully If You Suffer Gluten Allergy
By: Riley Hendersen | 30/05/2007 | Non-Fiction
For those who suffer with gluten allergy, or a wheat allergy, it can be hard to find foods that do not contain this product. Bread and bread products are generally off limits for these people. In addition, sufferers should read ingredient labels carefully to decide which foods are safe to eat and which might cause an allergic reaction.
The Facts About Your Cholesterol Level
By: Riley Hendersen | 30/05/2007 | Non-Fiction
Understanding cholesterol level and its implications on health can save a life. At the very least, the information can help a person make conscious decisions about their health and what they can do to improve it. Heart disease is a silent killer, but there are warning signs. Cholesterol level is a rather loud and clear sign.
Music Sounds Great With A Sirius Satellite Radio
By: Riley Hendersen | 30/05/2007 | Satellite Radio
Are you a music fanatic? Do you love your tunes? Do you hate interruptions by commercials, news and other public service announcements while you are trying to enjoy your favorite music? With Sirius Satellite Radio, you can have the best of the music world. A constant stream of your favorite music presented free of commercial interruption brought to you by satellite.
Know How to Identify An Arthritis Symptom
By: Riley Hendersen | 29/05/2007 | Non-Fiction
There comes a time in everyone's life when age starts to creep up on us. As we grow older, most people wake a little stiffer in the morning and experience typical aches and pains, but how do you know if it's arthritis that's troubling you? Knowing how to identify an arthritis symptom can take a load of worry off your mind.
Writing 
