Cholesterol
and Coronary Vascular Disease


The Leading Cause of Death
The odds are that if you aren't at risk for heart disease, someone close to you is. This disease doesn't play favorites - both men and women have about a 50-50 chance of dying from a heart attack or vascular disease in North America. In many cases the first symptom is a heart attack! But you can do a lot to beat those odds - read on.


Good News
Heart disease can be prevented and its severity reduced by acting upon the risk factors leading to it, especially high blood cholesterol. A low cholesterol diet (preferably one designed by a health care  professional) is the primary form of treatment for heart disease  Blood cholesterol can be reduced by 20 percent by making dietary changes.  This reduces the risk of having a heart attack by 40 percent.

Cholesterol is an essential part of all cells.  It is made by the body in the liver.  It also is found in may foods.  From the liver it is carried in the blood to body tissues.  It is measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl).


Long Process
When the level of cholesterol in the blood is too high, it is deposited along with other materials in the walls of the arteries, narrowing their opening.  This condition is called "atherosclerosis."  The build-up of cholesterol in the arteries is a long process which begins in childhood and continues through life unless changes in diet and other health habits are made.

Several particles carry cholesterol in the blood.  Among them are low-density lipoproteins(LDL) and high density lipoproteins(HDL).  These particles influence the degree to which cholesterol gets deposited in the arteries.  A high HDL level is good.  A high LDL level is bad and a strong risk factor for heart disease.  .

A heart attack occurs when a blood clot (thrombosus) blocks the narrowed arteries, stopping the flow of blood to the heart.  Both "atherosclerosis"  and "thrombosis" (formation of blood clots due to "sticky" red blood cells) are manifestations of heart disease and lead to a heart attack. Both can be prevented.

Other factors

Besides high blood cholesterol, other risk factors for heart disease are:
  • Obesity
  • Heredity
  • Diet (high in saturated fat and cholesterol)
  • HDL cholesterol below 35 mg/dl
  • Peripheral vascular disease (arterioslerosis)
 

National
Cholesterol
Education Program

A Panel of experts issued the following guidelines to reduce heart disease on a national scale:
  • Blood cholesterol screening for all adults over the age of 18 years.
  • Repeat cholesterol tests if cholesterol is above 200 mg/dl.
  • If cholesterol is above 200mg/dl, determination of LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels by another blood test.
  • Assessment of all other risk factors.

If you are at risk for heart disease, there are many things you can do. Eating a heart healthy diet, maintaining or reaching a 
healthy body weight, and getting regular, safe, physical activity can improve your blood lipids, blood sugar, and other risk factors. 
Your lifestyle really does make a difference, so start making changes now!  

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