Cholesterol is a risk factor in heart attack

Cholesterol often thought as a fat causing a heart disease, is also an essential substance the body uses to make vitamin D and some hormones, such as testosterone and estrogens. Often overlooked cholesterol has a very important role in helping the body to function properly. Your body gets cholesterol from 2 sources:

• Internally, from your liver
• Externally, from the food you consume

Your body, generally, manufactures, in off cholesterol to serve its needs, your genes in part determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High cholesterol productions can run in families.
Other factors that raise cholesterol levels include:

• A diet high in saturated fat
• A low level of physical activity
• Being overweight
• Aging - as cholesterol natural levels increase as we get older

It's normal for your cholesterol level to fluctuate varying as much as 10% from day to day. However, if your cholesterol level increases too much and stays there you're at risk of heart disease. The build up of cholesterol in your blood vessels is a silent process, gradual and painless, which is why to see your doctor regularly for a simple blood test.
If you had a blood test to check your cholesterol level, there are some general numbers you should know

For a healthy adult your total cholesterol should be below 200
Your LDL (bad cholesterol) should be below 100
Your HDL (good cholesterol) should be above 40, and higher is better, a higher number may protect against heart disease.

It's important to be familiar with all of these numbers. Your doctor may be more interested in your LD and HDL and the ratio between them. Recent research points to the importance of these numbers in predicting your risks of heart disease
Unchecked high cholesterol can lead to heart attack and stroke, because over time cholesterol builds up on the walls of your blood vessels, limiting blood flow.

The good news for those with high cholesterol is that there are many options for bringing down your numbers, from easy lifestyle adjustments, such as increasing your activity level and making changes in your diet, to more aggressive approaches, like medication.
Talk to your doctor about the best approach for maintaining your heart health.

You may be interested:
Where is Cholesterol coming from?

Updated: May, 30 2008 20:33:33

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