What is cholesterol?

1. What is cholesterol? • Cholesterol is a waxy, fatlike substance that is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body. Your body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.  • If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, the excess may be deposited in the arteries of the heart, which could lead to heart disease.  iz clinic

2. What causes high cholesterol? • Several drugs and diseases can cause high cholesterol!! • however, for many people, a high-fat diet andinherited metabolic factors seem to be the main causes. iz clinic

3. What are the symptoms of high cholesterol? • High cholesteroldoesn’t have any symptoms. • The only way to know if you have high cholesterol is to have it checked, which can be done with asimple blood test,called a fasting lipoprotein profile iz clinic

4. How often should I have my cholesterol checked? • Government and physician-supported guidelines state that healthy adultswho are aged 20 years or older should have a fasting lipoprotein profile doneonce every 5 years. iz clinic

5. How is cholesterol checked? • You may be asked to fast overnight before the test, hence its name. A fasting lipoprotein profile measures : • total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol, • and triglycerides in your blood.  • A cholesterol test can be done without fasting, but then only the levels of total cholesterol and HDL C ("good") can be used. iz clinic

6. Should I only be concerned with my total chol- number? • Just knowing your total cholesterol isn’t enough. Cholesterol is made up of 2 different types: • HDL C ("good") cholesterol and • LDL C ("bad") cholesterol . • HDL C is considered good because it helps keep LDL C ("bad") from building up in the walls of your arteries and causing blockage. • You also need to know your level of triglycerides because high triglycerides also increase the risk of heart disease, especially in people with diabetes. iz clinic

7. What kinds of problems are caused by high cholesterol? • High cholesterolcauses atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which can lead to • blocked coronary arteries, manifested by chest pain (angina) or a heart attack. Other serious problems, as • blocked arteries to the brain, causing threatened stroke (transient ischemic attack) and • blocked arteries in the legs, causing pain, limping, and possibly even limb loss, are possible iz clinic

8. What are the uncontrollable andcontrollable and risk factors for high cholesterol ?! • The risk factorsyou can’t control : • your age (for men, 45 years or older; for women, 55 years or older) • your family history of early heart disease (for men, father or brother affected before age 55 years; for women, mother or sister affected before age 65 years).  • The risk factors you can control are • lowering high blood cholesterol which is high total cholesterol and high LDL C("bad"); raising HDL C ("good") cholesterol. iz clinic

9. quitting smoking; • controlling high blood pressure; • controlling diabetes; • losing weight if overweight/obese; • and keeping physically active. If you have diabetes, your risk of heart disease is high. To reduce your risk, you will need to lower your cholesterol under the supervision of your doctor. iz clinic

10. What the Numbers Mean Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliters (mg/dL) of blood.. • Desirable – Less than 200 mg/dL • Borderline High Risk – 200-239 mg/dL • High Risk – 240 mg/dL and above However, the risk of cardiovascular disease associated with these levels of chol- and trig- will depend upon the presence or absence of other risk factors, such as the presence of known cardiovascular disease (heart attack, stroke), hypertension ,age & positive family history &diabetes& sex & smoking iz clinic

11. Your HDL cholesterol level will fall into 1 of 3 categories: • High (Desirable) – 60 mg/dL and above • Acceptable – 40-59 mg/dL • Low – 40 mg/dL and less Triglycerides A high level of trig- may be a sign of a lipoprotein problem that contributes to heart disease. Your triglyceride level will fall into 1 of 4 categories: • Normal – Less than 150 mg/dL • Borderline High – 150-199 mg/dL • High – 200-499 mg/dL • Very High – 500 mg/dL and above iz clinic

12. LDL cholesterol is considered the “bad” cholesterol. Your risk of heart disease goes up if you have a high level of LDL cholesterol in your blood. Your LDL chole- level will fall into 1of 5 categories: • Optimal – Less than 100 mg/dL • Near Optimal/Above Optimal – 100-129mg/dl • Borderline High – 130-159 mg/dL • High – 160-189 mg/dL • Very High – 190 mg/dL and above iz clinic

13. What can I do to prevent high cholesterol? The primary prevention of high cholesterol is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. • This lifestyle should include 30-60 minutes a day of exercise on most or all days of the week, • a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, • and not smoking. iz clinic

14. When would a doctor prescribe a medication to lower cholesterol? If you have high cholesterol, the main goal of a treatment program is to lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol level. There are 2 main ways to lower your LDL cholesterol level: 1-lifestyle changes and 2-drug treatment. Lifestyle changes include a • low-saturated fat, • low-cholesterol diet; • exercise; and • weight loss if you are overweight. iz clinic

15. If following a healthy diet, exercising, and losing weight don’t lower your risk for heart disease, then your doctor might prescribe a medication to help lower your cholesterol Even if your doctor does prescribe a medication • you must still follow • your healthy diet, • be more physically active, • stop cigarette smoking if you smoke, • and control your other risk factors : (e.g., high blood pressure, diabetes) for heart disease. iz clinic

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