A high cholesterol level is linked to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This could include cardiovascular heart diseases, stroke as well as peripheral vascular diseases. It is also associated with high blood pressure and diabetes. In all instances the reason for high cholesterol is that it results in fatty plaques that accumulate in arterial blood vessels all over the body.
To manage or prevent these diseases, you must consult your physician. There are simple steps to reduce the cholesterol in your body and increase your chance of getting these diseases.
Cholesterol is a risk factor for Coronary Heart Disease
The primary risk of excessive cholesterol levels is heart attack which could lead to death due to heart attacks. If your cholesterol levels are too high cholesterol will build up inside the walls surrounding your blood vessels. In time, this accumulation is known as plaque causes the hardening of arteries, which is known as atherosclerosis. The arteries that supply the heart may become narrowed in particular regions (focal shrinking) and reduce blood flow to a portion of the muscle of the heart. Cholesterol plaques break up and move into smaller blood vessels, and result in a complete or partial blockage. Sometimes , inflammation cells can move to the plaque and cause shrinking of the area. A decrease in blood flow could cause chest pain, known as angina, or an attack on the heart when a blood vessel is completely blocked.
Cholesterol and Stroke
Cholesterol plaques aren’t only lining your blood vessels within the heart and around it and around your heart, they also narrow arterial routes that go into your brain. If the blood vessel that carries cerebral blood is completely blocked it could result in stroke.
Cholesterol as well as Peripheral Vascular Disease
Alongside your brain and heart cholesterol plaque may cause problems in your legs as well as other locations that are not your heart or the brain (peripheral cardiovascular disease). Feet and legs are among the most commonly affected. There may be the calves getting crampy when you walk. They will get better when you rest. It’s like anginaIt operates in similarly but it’s on your legs, not your heart.
Cholesterol and Diabetes
Diabetes can alter the balance between the levels of HDL which is also known as “good” cholesterol in addition to LDL also known as “bad” cholesterol. Patients with diabetes tend to be prone to LDL particles that adhere to arteries and cause damage to the walls of blood vessels more quickly. Glucose (a kind of sugar) is a lipoprotein that attaches to it (a cholesterol-protein package that permits cholesterol to pass across blood). Sugar-coated LDL is present in bloodstreams for longer, which can cause plaque to develop. Patients with diabetes, particularly Type 2 Diabetes, may suffer from low HDL and elevated triglyceride (another type of fat in the blood) levels. Both of these can increase the risk of developing heart and coronary artery disease.
Cholesterol and high blood pressure
While the high blood pressure (also known as hypertension) may be related by cholesterol level, experts are still studying the exact mechanism. The presence of cholesterol can trigger inflammation, and release of certain hormones which cause blood vessels to contract (or “constrict” and consequently raise blood pressure. Doctors refer to it as “endothelial dysfunction” when blood vessels behave in this manner.
The high blood pressure can also be associated with heart disease.
Cholesterol , Erectile Dysfunction and Cholesterol
Erectile dysfunction occurs the condition in which a man is unable to achieve or keep an erection throughout sexual activity. In the long run the high cholesterol levels may cause a narrowing in the blood vessels that are smaller in the penis, which are supposed to stretch to let more blood flow into to have an intimate erection (endothelial dysfunction). Additionally, if you’re suffering from excessive LDL cholesterol in your body, the substance could build up in arteries , and eventually join with other compounds to form plaque , which hardens and narrows blood vessels (atherosclerosis). This could result in lower flow of blood to the penis and the heart and can cause Erectile dysfunction.
5 steps to lower cholesterol and risk of acquiring related diseases
A few easy adjustments can lower the cholesterol in your body and decrease the risk of developing conditions related to high cholesterol.
Consult with a professional for guidance on making lifestyle changes. Your doctor can assist to develop the right program for healthy eating and exercising.
Give your diet a makeover. Try oatmeal, walnutsand salmon, tuna, sardines and tofu. Beware of foods that contain high levels of saturated and trans fats, as well as simple sugars.
No smoking. It reduces cholesterol levels “good” (HDL) cholesterol. If you cut it out it, you’ll be more likely to have it. There are many other benefits to your body in general.
Move! Even small levels of activity such as one hour per day of walking vigorously can help you manage your weight. It can also help with other conditions that can put your heart at risk of diseases, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Exercise can reduce the triglyceride level and increase the levels of your “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels. Both are beneficial for your heart.
Make sure you take your prescribed medications. Your physician may prescribe medications to lower your cholesterol. Follow the directions for taking them. Questions? Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.