Archive for the ‘lipoproteins’ Category

Eating To Reduce High Cholesterol

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

Eating a healthy diet is probably one of the more challenging aspects of daily life, especially in North America. Faced with a growing number of people at risk for heart disease because of their diets, doctors and researchers are studying the foods we eat in an attempt to find out how we can counteract this trend. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the Mayo Clinic recently issued health advisories on 2 very different types of food that have positive effects on our health - soy protein and chocolate.

As it turns out, both soy and chocolate contain substances that can help reduce or inhibit the effects of elevated cholesterol, and specifically low-density lipoprotein (LDL) blood cholesterol levels. LDL, known as the “bad” cholesterol, transports cholesterol from the liver to cells in the body. LDL can build up on the walls of the blood vessels, eventually blocking and damaging the arteries, which in turn causes stroke and heart disease.

The American Heart Association recently issued a nutritional advisory stating that people with total cholesterol levels of over 240 mg/dl could benefit substantially by eating 25 g to 50 g of soy protein daily. The advisory cited the conclusions of an earlier analysis of 38 controlled clinical studies, which said consuming that much soy protein every day is “both safe and effective in reducing LDL cholesterol by up to 8% in people who have elevated cholesterol levels.” Moreover, soy protein actually increased levels of “good”high-density lipoprotein (HDL) by 2.4% or more.

For most adults, cholesterol levels over 200 mg/dl are considered high. Our daily intake of cholesterol should be less than 300 mg, which is roughly equivalent to one egg. However, the typical North American diet tends to be high in animal proteins, and contains a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol - up to 400 mg of cholesterol per day.

Dr. John Erdman, a professor at the University of Illinois who wrote the AHA advisory, explained that substituting soy, which has very low saturated fat and no cholesterol, would be a healthy thing to do. Soy protein, like animal protein, is complete - it contains all the essential amino acids in sufficient quantities to support human life. “I’m not suggesting that people become vegetarians, just that they consider using soy milks, soy nuts, tofu, or some of the new products on the market that you can make milk shakes out of for example, as an alternative protein source,” he said.

The nutrition advisory also stressed the importance of eating intact soy protein - soy that has not been altered during processing. Dr. Mark Messina - an expert on soy protein, who wrote a book entitled The Simple Soy Bean and Your Health, said using soy isolates is a good way to get more intact soy into your diet. “There are many products, such as powders and energy bars, or beverages made with soy isolates that contain 15 g or 20 g of soy per serving,” he said.

What if your cholesterol isn’t high? Eat soy anyway. Research shows that the positive effects of soy protein are not limited to its impact on cholesterol. It now appears that soy protein may also cause the arteries to be more flexible.

Additionally, for men at risk of prostate cancer, new data from recently completed studies show that those same soy-based phytoestrogens and isoflavones that help reduce cholesterol also inhibit the growth of prostate tumours - by as much as 70% in one study.

Another food - that some of us would consider essential to life itself - is also making news. According to the February 2001 issue of the Mayo Clinic Health Letter, 2 studies showed that some types of chocolate products contain high levels of antioxidant flavonoid compounds. Antioxidant flavonoids are plant-based compounds that limit the harmful effects of LDL cholesterol, and are believed to neutralize free radicals - compounds that can damage the body’s cells and cause disease.

Apparently, the type of chocolate we eat matters. Dark chocolate and bittersweet chocolate contain more flavonoids than milk chocolate. Sadly, white chocolate doesn’t contain any flavonoids at all.

According to Dr. Donald Hensrud, a nutrition specialist at the Mayo Clinic, dark chocolate also contains a type of saturated fat that doesn’t seem to raise cholesterol as much as other types of saturated fat. Cocoa butter, also found in dark chocolate, doesn’t appear to have a negative effect either, because it is converted into an unsaturated fat in the liver.

“Milk chocolate will have milk and saturated fat added to it, which may counteract any benefit of flavonoid compounds from the chocolate,” Dr. Hensrud said. He also cautioned that chocolate contains small amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, which could, in susceptible people, have a very mild effect. “Whether chocolate really does exert an effect on cholesterol, whether we eat enough of it - and whether we should eat enough to see those effects are open questions,” Dr. Hensrud said.

Bottom line? “There may be some theoretic benefits in chocolate, but in terms of saying we should eat chocolate for health - we have to consider other potential drawbacks - such as the calorie content.” Perhaps a compromise can be reached, by substituting that mid afternoon chocolate bar with a chocolate flavoured soy shake 2 or 3 times a week.

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High-Dose Lipitor Reduced The Risk Of Heart Attack And Stroke In Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Saturday, August 9th, 2008

Pfizer Inc announced that Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium) 80 mg reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke by 32 percent in patients who have heart disease and chronic kidney disease compared with patients taking the 10 mg dose of Lipitor. This analysis, designed and completed following the closure of the five-year Treating to New Targets (TNT) study, was published in the “Journal of the American College of Cardiology.”

“People with chronic kidney disease are more likely to die from heart disease than to develop kidney failure,” said Dr. James Shepherd, a member of the TNT steering committee and clinical academic consultant, department of pathological biochemistry, University of Glasgow Medical School. “It is critical for us to find new ways to reduce cardiovascular burden in these patients. Intensive statin therapy seems to be at least part of the solution.”

The primary endpoint of the TNT study was the reduction of major cardiovascular events, including death from heart disease, non-fatal heart attacks, resuscitated cardiac arrest, and fatal or non-fatal strokes. This sub-analysis studied 3,107 patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease, as defined using a standard measure of kidney function. The efficacy results in this analysis were primarily driven by reductions in heart attack and stroke. Both doses of Lipitor (80 mg and 10 mg) were well tolerated. Lipitor 80 mg is not a starting dose. The safety of Lipitor 80 mg in patients with chronic kidney disease was similar to that reported for the overall TNT population, with no unexpected safety concerns identified.

“The results of this analysis complement the large body of evidence from multiple clinical trials demonstrating the cardiovascular benefits of Lipitor,” said Halit Bander, Ph.D. senior director of Pfizer’s global cardiovascular metabolic medical team.

About Chronic Kidney Disease

An estimated 26 million Americans and 50 million people worldwide have chronic kidney disease, or permanent kidney damage due to injury or disease. Patients with chronic kidney disease do not effectively filter toxins from the blood. When chronic kidney disease progresses to kidney failure, either dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed. Chronic kidney disease recently has been recognized as an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death and illness in patients with kidney disease.

About the TNT Study

The TNT study was a landmark investigator-led trial coordinated by an independent steering committee and funded by Pfizer. It was the largest study to date evaluating the efficacy and safety of Lipitor 80 mg. The study enrolled 10,001 men and women with coronary heart disease aged 35 years to 75 years in 14 countries and followed them for an average of five years. The safety of Lipitor 80 mg in patients with chronic kidney disease was similar to that reported for the overall TNT population, with no unexpected safety concerns identified.

About Lipitor

Lipitor is the only statin proven to provide a combination of impressive average LDL (”bad” cholesterol) lowering of 39 percent to 60 percent, significant and proven cardiovascular event reductions, and a well-established safety profile across a broad range of patients.

It is the most prescribed cholesterol-lowering therapy in the world, with nearly 151 million patient-years of experience. Lipitor is supported by an extensive clinical trial program involving more than 400 ongoing and completed trials with more than 80,000 patients.

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What Is Cholesterol

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like material that is made by the liver. Cholesterol serves many vital functions, and is part of every cell in the body. Our bodies require cholesterol to maintain healthy cell walls, make hormones, make vitamin D, and to make bile acids.

The food we eat can also play a big part in the amount of cholesterol in our bodies. If we eat an excess of food containing saturated fat, the liver will produce more cholesterol than the body needs. Our bodies will also absorb cholesterol directly from food that contains cholesterol.

In nature cholesterol is only found in animal based foods, but some food processing can cause other foods to have cholesterol as well. Foods fried in animal fat or tropical oils, have also been found to contain cholesterol. Saturated fat is also found primarily in animal based foods.

Cholesterol on its own can not dissolve in the blood. Tiny particles called lipoproteins deliver cholesterol to and from the blood cells. There are two lipoproteins that work with cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

LDL cholesterol, often referred to as “Bad” cholesterol, carries cholesterol in the blood stream to the tissues, where it can be used or stored by the body. The reason this type of cholesterol is referred to as “Bad” is that this is the cholesterol that can build-up and clog arteries. This is what happens when there is too much LDL in the body.

HDL cholesterol, often referred to as “Good” cholesterol, carries cholesterol in the blood stream from the tissues to the liver. The liver then expels this cholesterol from the body. A high HDL level will tend to protect against heart attack and stroke.

There are other factors that can affect your blood cholesterol levels. Some of these factors include being overweight, lack of exercise, inherited health traits, increased age, and gender. Women after menopause tend to have higher cholesterol than before menopause. Women also tend to have a higher HDL level throughout there lives than men. This may help to explain why women under the age of 80 usually experience lower rates of heart disease and stroke than men.

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), a high cholesterol level is considered to be over 200 mg/dL for your total cholesterol. Total cholesterol is calculated as (LDL + HDL). This however, is not the only figure that you should be concerned about. You also need to have a HDL level greater than or equal to 45 mg/dL, to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Total Blood Cholesterol Levels

Desirable: less than 200 mg/dL
Borderline: 200-239 mg/dL
High: 240 mg/dL or higher

HDL Cholesterol Levels

Desirable: 45 mg/dL or higher
LDL Cholesterol Levels
Desirable: less than 130 mg/dL
Borderline: 130-159 mg/dL
High: 160 mg/dL or higher

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How to Fight Cholesterol

Monday, August 4th, 2008

Dr. Helen is having some cholesterol hell. She wants to keep her LDL cholesterol low and HDL cholesterol high, and having suffered a heart attack in the past this is of the utmost importance. The product she was using was Benecol Smart Chews, which, judging by the nutrition facts, don’t seem to have anything particularly wrong with them. It uses plant sterols, proven to lower LDL cholesterol in the human body. Yet her LDL cholesterol and triglycerides level went up. What gives?

Whatever the reason, cholesterol is something you should try to keep in check whether young or old. Sometimes, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol come from crazy places you wouldn’t even think of. Below are my tips for getting your cholesterol under control through the use of a good diet, exercise, and supplements.

Avoid Processed Foods and Artificial Sweeteners

This is so hard to do nowadays because almost everything is processed and almost everything has corn syrup in it (even the chews!). Processed foods like corn syrup — and even white bread and white pasta — are turned into glucose (sugar) rapidly by the body. Excess sugar that your body doesn’t use fast enough will be turned into fat. In this case, most often these foods will be turned into triglycerides, a kind of fat that is easy to burn off but is detrimental to your health.

Buy truly whole grain products whenever possible to avoid this affect on the body.

Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

Certain alcohol beverages, such as beer and especially wine, have been shown to have incredible health benefits in moderation. A couple glasses of wine a day is no problem. However, when you drink alcohol, the liver prioritizes the metabolism of alcohol over other substances such as glucose. This results in even more glucose than usual being converted into triglycerides. This will happen especially when drinking cocktails that involve fruit juices and syrups. This is especially a warning to all the college students out there!

Eat Your Fiber

This can’t be stressed more. Fruits, vegetables, and legumes have so many different qualities that are amazing that they shouldn’t be passed up on. In terms of helping with your cholesterol, there are some benefits that your greens can give you that few foods can. The soluble fiber in fruits and legumes, as well as oatmeal, form gelatinous substances in the intestine and bind with cholesterol so that it is removed rather than absorbed. Eating just 15 grams of soluble fiber a day can reduce your LDL cholesterol by 10-15% over time.

Exercise and You Won’t Be Sorry

A regular regimen of exercise is extremely helpful in burning off triglycerides and reducing LDL cholesterol while boosting HDL cholesterol. There is no doubt that cardiovascular exercise as well as weight training reduces inflammation, excess fat, and LDL cholesterol. Truly, any amount of exercise is beneficial but those who do it regularly will see the most benefit. You need to remember though that the heart is also a muscle, and while it may seem strange, a whey protein shake after a jog is just what it needs to build itself stronger than ever before.

Get Acquainted with the Good Fats, Throw Out the Bad

A supplement with plant sterols alone is not going to do the trick — essential fatty acids have the most control over your cholesterol levels. Before I say anything, I just wanted everyone to know that I am extremely biased against low/no fat diets. I think they are ridiculous and led to a generation of people coming down with cardiovascular diseases. That’s because fat in your diet is so absolutely necessary that you can’t afford to cut it out. In terms of cholesterol, fat can save your life if you eat the right kinds. So what are they?

Monounsaturated fats are what you want the most of in terms of lowering LDL cholesterol. When eating a salad or some whole wheat pasta, feel free to drizzle a good helping of extra virgin olive oil. Salad dressings based on olive oil are also good. Seriously, olive oil is amazing and shouldn’t be passed up on.

You should also make sure to get a large amount of your essential oils from food sources. Fish have a lot of good fats in them, such as the polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6. Avocado is great. Some coconut oil, a medium-chain saturated fat, has been shown to be beneficial as well. You should also eat a decent amount of nuts, as they contain a great amount of oils that are beneficial to the body.

So what are the bad? Any kind of processed or refined oil. That giant, cheap gallon of vegetable oil should be thrown out immediately. There is no better way to raise your triglyceride and LDL cholesterol count than to cook everything in vegetable oil. When oils are heated they undergo a chemical transformation that makes them much less healthy for you. Basically, anything that says processed, hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated should be thrown out especially if found in packaged food. These are generally trans fats — the biggest culprit in terms of bad cholesterol.

You will also want to trim as much fat off of red meat as possible as, unlike coconut oil which is a medium-chain saturated fat, these are long-chain saturated fats and do have a connection to higher LDL cholesterol. Replace some of your red meat meals with fowl and fish instead.

Some Supplements Do Wonders

There is a reason that bodybuilders and nutritionists are absolutely obsessed with certain supplement products. Their benefits are proven, visible, and effective in everyone.

Flax seeds and flax seed oil are one of nature’s best sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Taken as a supplement or whole, these little guys do wonders for your cholesterol and heart. Cod liver oil is a good alternative, containing these fats along with vitamins A and D naturally.

Like I said, bodybuilders and nutritionists take these because they work. AI put a bit of flaxseed oil in every protein shake I make. While I’m sure the Benecol Smart Chews has had some kind of effect given the plant sterols, I don’t believe that it can have nearly the effect as supplementing with essential fatty acids.

Conclusion

There are many lifestyle changes that you can make in order to boost your cardiovascular health and tackle cholesterol problems. As a natural substance that your body needs, dietary cholesterol itself has very little impact on the cholesterol in your body. When you eat more cholesterol, your body simply makes less. The terms HDL and LDL actually refer to lipoproteins that surround the cholesterol the production of which has much more to do with dietary fat than dietary cholesterol. A good exercise regimen, but most of all a healthy diet full of unprocessed foods and essential unsaturated fatty acids, are essential to raising your HDL and LDL levels, thus preventing the kind of arterial plaque that can lead to so many cardiovascular diseases.

These tips worked for me, and I hope that by following my suggestions you can successfully achieve your goals. Good luck Dr. Helen and everyone else!

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Bad and Good Cholesterol

Monday, July 21st, 2008

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance used to serve many body functions, such as producing cell membranes and some hormones. Cholesterol is found in your blood and all your bodys cells. It is normal to have cholesterol, but if cholesterol level in blood exceeds a normal value, it can lead to heart attack and stroke. High cholesterol level in blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Cholesterol is a common name for four kinds of substancies: two types of lipoproteins, triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol. Lipoproteins are used to transport cholesterol to and from your bodys cells. Lipoproteins include low-density lipoprotein (LDL), known as bad cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), known as good cholesterol. These four kinds of substances make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood cholesterol test.

HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol)

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is also known as “good” cholesterol. It is very effective for cholesterol transport, and high blood level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) seems to protect against heart attack. HDL cholesterol takes cholesterol away from your bloodstream back to the liver, thus slowing cholesterol buildup in arteries and small blood vessels. About one-fourth to one-third cholesterol carriers in your blood are high-density lipoproteins.

Women tend to have higher HDL cholesterol level than men do, espessially during the childbearing time period. This difference is caused by higher levels of estrogen, a female sex hormone, which tends to raise high-density lipoprotein.

LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol)

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also called “bad” cholesterol, can build up in the inner walls of your blood vessels. It can form a hard deposit that can narrow your blood vessels and make them less flexible. This can result in a coronary disease which is the main risk factor for heart attack and stroke. High level of LDL cholesterol in blood is the main cause of atherosclerosis (when LDL cholesterol clogs or damages arteries) which can lead to heart attack and stroke too.

High LDL cholesterol level in blood can be a result of your diet if it includes dietary cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fats. But in most cases high LDL cholesterol level is at least half inherited from your parents. If you have relatives with high LDL cholesterol level in blood, you may need drug therapy in addition to lifestyle changes to lower LDL cholesterol level.

Lp(a) cholesterol

Lp(a) cholesterol is a genetic variation of LDL cholesterol. It may interact with other substances found in a bloodstream and contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits in the inner walls of arteries.

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Lower Cholesterol

Tuesday, July 15th, 2008

Cholesterol Help and Tips

If you have high cholesterol then there are many things you can do to lower it. There are many different medications designed for lowering your cholesterol and there are many things that you can do on your own to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

It is common for doctors to prescribe medications to patients with dangerously high cholesterol levels. These medications include statins, ezetimibe, bile acid sequestrants, and niacin. Statins are very effective in reducing cholesterol because they work inside the liver by interrupting the formulation of cholesterol from the circulating blood. Ezetimibe is known to lower LDL cholesterol and is a relatively newer drug on the market. This drug works inside of the digestive tract reducing the absorption of cholesterol. Some doctors prescribe this drug and a statin to work collectively. Bile acid sequestrants are known to be effective in lowering LDL. These drugs may be effective alone or when used with statins also. Types of bile acid sequestrants include Questran, Colestid, and Welchol. There are side effects to sequestrants that include bloating and gas, abdominal pain, and constipation.

Niacin is a B vitamin that is known to lower triglyceride levels and LDL levels. It is also known to be effective in raising HDL cholesterol levels too. There is a new medication called Advicor that is known to combine niacin boosting the good cholesterol your body needs and lower the bad cholesterol.

There are many things you can do to maintain low cholesterol levels in your body. High levels of cholesterol in your body can result in a heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. If you work to keep your levels low then you can live a healthier life.

Diet is very important when you are concerned about your cholesterol levels. You should focus on reducing the amount of saturated fats and cholesterol you eat which in return will help in lowering your blood cholesterol levels. A diet that is low in saturated fat is recommended. Foods that are low in cholesterol that you should add to your diet plan include fat-free dairy products, fish, skinless poultry, whole grain foods, and fruits and vegetables. Foods that contain higher amounts of cholesterol that you should avoid include egg yolks, livers, and full-fat dairy products. You should also avoid weight gain when you are concerned about your cholesterol levels.

Another way you can help your body avoid heart disease by working toward lowering your cholesterol is by maintaining an active lifestyle. You should regularly assume physical activity which will help raise the good cholesterol levels in your body and lower the bad cholesterol. It will also help you lose weight. If you can be physically active for at least 30 minutes everyday then this can have a big impact on healthier cholesterol levels.

High cholesterol can be dangerous to your body. There are things you can do for your body to work at getting your levels down like eating right and exercising. If your levels are dangerous then a doctor may put you on medications to help with lowering your cholesterol.

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Cholesterol Drugs Reduce Blood Pressure

Saturday, July 12th, 2008

Both high cholesterol and high blood pressure are risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Past reviews and analyses of clinical trials have suggested that a class of cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, lowers blood pressure, in addition to reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (or, ‘bad cholesterol). In a recent article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers from the University of California San Diego reported results confirming these observations that statins lower blood pressure.

In this study, 973 individuals who did not have heart disease or diabetes were randomized into three groups - one group was treated with simvastatin, another was treated with pravastatin, and the last group was treated with a placebo pill. After six months of treatment, individuals who received statins experienced small, but statistically significant, reductions in blood pressure, even if their baseline blood pressure was already within the normal range. Simvastatin produced slightly higher reductions. The researchers also found that the effect on blood pressure was lost within two months after statin therapy was stopped.

Although the observed reduction in blood pressure was small (about 2 mm Hg), this modest reduction may still contribute to significant reductions in the risk of stroke, as well as heart disease. However, this study only included a lower-risk population of people without diabetes or heart disease. Also, the study provided only 6 months of observation and the effects of long-term therapy with statins on blood pressure still need to be studied.

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Boys Naturally At Greater Risk For Heart Disease

Friday, July 11th, 2008

Researchers have found that boys’ natural developmental processes put them at a greater risk for heart disease.

Scientists followed more than 500 schoolchildren in Minneapolis, Minn., from the ages of 11 to 19. Over the course of the study, readings of known risk factors for heart disease were different between boys and girls. The study found:

* Triglyceride (fat that is found in the blood) levels increased in males and decreased in females.
* High-density lipoprotein (HDL, the so-called “good” cholesterol) decreased in males and increased in females.
* Systolic blood pressure (the first number of the blood-pressure reading, which measures when the heart contracts) increased in both boys and girls, but more so in boys.
* Boys became more insulin-resistant than girls.

“By age 19, the boys were at greater cardiovascular risk,” said lead author Antoinette Moran, M.D., in a statement.

“This is particularly surprising because we usually think of body fat as associated with cardiovascular risk, and the increasing risk in boys happened at the time in normal development when they were gaining muscle mass and losing fat,” said Moran, professor and division chief of paediatric endocrinology and diabetes at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis.

The study was published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The study found no difference in cholesterol readings, or in low-density lipoprotein (LDL, so-called “bad” cholesterol) readings, between boys and girls.

At the beginning of the study, the boys and girls had similar body composition and blood pressure. During adolescence, both boys and girls gained weight. As puberty set in, body composition grew increasingly different, as boys became leaner and girls’ body fat increased.

It is common knowledge that heart-disease risk factors in adults include high blood pressure, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity, abnormal cholesterol levels and insulin resistance.

The researchers concluded that more work needs to be done to investigate how the developmental processes during adolescence influence these heart-disease risk factors.

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Lipitor How Much LDL

Wednesday, July 9th, 2008

Cholesterol is a lipid, a type of fat found in the body. Having high “bad” cholesterol means you have too much LDL in your blood. LDL is low-density lipoprotein, or “bad” cholesterol.

Too much cholesterol in the blood, or high cholesterol, can be serious. People with high cholesterol are at risk of getting heart disease. This can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Only about 20% of cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. The other 80% is made by your body. Things such as age and family health history affect how much cholesterol your body makes.

Cholesterol levels tend to rise as you get older. Unfortunately, there are usually no signs that you have high cholesterol. But it can be detected with a blood test. These tests can also help your doctor predict what your risk for heart disease may be.

Total Cholesterol

Your blood test report will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). The total number is based on:

* LDL (”bad” cholesterol)
* HDL (”good” cholesterol)
* Triglyceride (a type of fat found in your blood) levels

Total Cholesterol Levels / What It Means

Less than 200 mg/dL / Desirable
200-239 mg/dL / Borderline high risk for heart disease
240 mg/dL and above / High risk for heart disease

The 2 Types of Cholesterol: LDL and HDL

Bad cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)

Too much LDL in your blood can clog arteries. This can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Good cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein (HDL)

High levels of HDL can help protect you from a heart attack or stroke. HDL carries cholesterol from the body’s tissues to the liver. So, low levels of HDL can increase the risk of heart disease.

If you’re worried about high cholesterol and heart disease, make an appointment to speak with your doctor. LIPITOR is clinically proven to lower bad cholesterol 39-60%, when diet and exercise are not enough (average effect depending on dose).

LIPITOR is a prescription drug. It is used in patients with multiple risk factors for heart disease such as family history, high blood pressure, age, low HDL (”good” cholesterol) or smoking to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. When diet and exercise alone are not enough, LIPITOR is used along with a low-fat diet and exercise to lower cholesterol.

LIPITOR is also used in patients with type 2 diabetes and at least one other risk factor for heart disease such as high blood pressure, smoking or complications of diabetes, including eye disease and protein in urine, to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

LIPITOR is not for everyone. It is not for those with liver problems. And it is not for women who are nursing, pregnant or may become pregnant.

If you take LIPITOR, tell your doctor if you feel any new muscle pain or weakness. This could be a sign of rare but serious muscle side effects. Tell your doctor about all medications you take. This may help avoid serious drug interactions. Your doctor should do blood tests to check your liver function before and during treatment and may adjust your dose. The most common side effects are gas, constipation, stomach pain and heartburn. They tend to be mild and often go away.

When diet and exercise alone are not enough, adding LIPITOR can help. LIPITOR is one of many cholesterol-lowering treatment options that you and your doctor can consider.

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Cholesterol Shoots Up

Sunday, July 6th, 2008

Doctors and dieticians stresses on following a special diet chart to the people suffering from cholesterol problem. And if the disease is low-density lipoprotein or LDL, that is, the worst form of cholesterol, the person has to take extra care of his health and diet. A proper diet to lower LDL cholesterol must include food that contain lots of soluble fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids, Omega-3 fatty acids, sterols or stanols, and soy protein.

The soluble fibre mentioned in a proper diet to lower LDL cholesterol is found in high percentage in oatmeal and oat bran. Foods like kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, pears, apples, barley, psyllium and prunes are also very rich in soluble fibres. These foods reduce the absorption of intestinal cholesterol by helping the body to excrete the dietary cholesterol and excess bile.

A proper diet to lower LDL cholesterol must have five to ten grams of fibre per day to lower the cholesterol by five percent. A person suffering from high cholesterol must consume one-and-a-half cups of cooked oatmeal that contains 4.5 grams of soluble fibre. Besides fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids help to reduce blood cholesterol. These fatty acids, mostly found in walnuts and almonds, keep the blood vessels healthy, well oxygenated and elastic.

A proper diet to lower LDL cholesterol must include one-third cup of walnuts or almonds every day. This counts to about 240 calories or 20 per cent of the total calorie intake in a day. If consumed at a regular basis, these nuts help to lower cholesterol within one month.

In a proper diet to lower LDL cholesterol, it is very important to have omega-3 fatty acids that are mostly found in fish, and whale and seal meat. Apart from these sources, the other omga-3 fatty acids enriched vegetarian edibles are flaxseed, canola oil, walnuts and Soya bean oil. However this element is best found in fishes and fish oil. The highest carriers of these fatty acids are salmon, sardines, albacore tuna, mackerel, and lake trout.

A proper diet to lower LDL cholesterol must include baked or grilled fish that reduces blood clotting and blood pressure due to their ability to reduce triglyceride. Fat, especially trans and saturated ones are a big no-no for a cholesterol patient. Beside a controlled and healthy diet, regular exercises are also important. In case the cholesterol level shoots up, one must take proper medication.

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