Brits are being warned of the dangers from high cholesterol with statistics showing a worrying number of over 50s in this position and here are some foods and tips to reduce it.
Statistics from the British Heart Foundation show that every eight minutes somebody dies from coronary heart disease and the importance to take steps to keep the organ healthy.
High cholesterol is extremely common and it increases your risk of heart attack and disease, so it is crucial to keep it at a healthy level, reported the Irish Mirror.
For good heart health and healthy cholesterol, the BHF recommends people have a diet with fruit and vegetables, and less fatty food.
What is High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat found in your blood which is made in the body mainly by the liver and it is needed for all body cells to produce important hormones.
But if there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it sticks to your artery walls to form atheroma or plaque.
This build-up on the artery walls means your arteries become narrowed and this process also called the hardening of the arteries.
If an artery supplying the heart muscle becomes blocked completely, the muscle becomes damaged and this is known as a heart attack.
Similarly if an artery to the brain is completely blocked, it damages the brain and this is called a stroke.
Symptoms of High Cholesterol
High cholesterol in itself does not usually cause symptoms but the build-up of fatty material on the artery walls and the narrowing does leave to various conditions and these depend on where the blockage occurs.
- Angina
- Acute coronary syndrome
- Heart attack if the heart is affected
- Stroke or TIA if the brain is affected
- Leg pain and intermittent pain when walking if the peripheral arteries are affected.
The body can produce all the cholesterol it needs and can usually maintain a healthy level of blood cholesterol.
Good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein)
HDL cholesterol is called good cholesterol or healthy cholesterol because it mops up cholesterol left behind in your arteries and carries it to your liver where it is broken down and passed out of your body.
Regular physical activity and exercise can help increase your HDL level but problems arise when the balance goes wrong and there is an increase in bad cholesterol called LDL.
This may result from inherited problems or from eating too much saturated (animal) fat or too many foods from the top shelf of the Food Pyramid.
Bad cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein)
LDL cholesterol travels from your liver through your arteries to other parts of your body. LDL is called bad cholesterol because it sticks to the walls in your arteries - making them narrow.
Prevention
If you want to prevent high cholesterol here are some things you can do.
You should have regular blood pressure and cholesterol checks with your doctor.
- Eat more fruit and vegetables and wholegrain foods
- Eat less fatty foods
- Eat fish twice a week including oily fish
- If you smoke, try to stop
- Be a healthy weight
- Be more physically active for at least 30 minutes 5 days a week
- Drink less alcohol
- Learn to relax, de-stress – take time out for yourself.
