Keep Your Cholesterol Down
June 22, 2009
We all know that cholesterol has a lot to do with heart disease but there is no need to worry about cholesterol once you know its negative effects. This is because the knowledge will push you to act in a positive way.
Cholesterol levels in your blood play a major role in development of heart disease.The higher the levels the higher your risk of developing heart attacks. One major cause of death is heart attack; millions of people suffer from this every year.
High levels of cholesterol in your body affect your arteries. Cholesterol collects in the arteries hardening them as a result. This makes them too narrow for enough blood to flow through your system.
Blood transport oxygen from the heart to the body. Less blood flowing through your body means you have less oxygen in your system. When this continues and the blood cannot flow anymore, you get heart attack.
The unfortunate thing about rising cholesterol level is that it has no symptoms. This makes it difficult to gauge the health of your arteries. This makes lowering cholesterol levels very important whether you are healthy or not.
Factors affecting cholesterol levels
There are a lot of things that affect cholesterol levels.
Diet and weight
Diet is one of them. The following foods contain high levels of cholesterol: eggs, saturated fat, and fatty foods. Another factor is weight. Those who are overweight have high risks of heart disease because weight has a proportional relation with cholesterol levels.
Physical activity also affects heart health. Those who live less active and sedentary lifestyles have a high risk of developing heart disease. So adopting a regular exercise schedule can lower cholesterol levels. You have to find out which kind of exercise is good for you because overexertion is also dangerous.
Gender and age
Cholesterol levels go up when people age. Levels are lower in women before menopause as compared to men of the same age. But after menopause, cholesterol levels go up in women faster than in men.
There are hereditary factors associated with cholesterol levels. There are families who are noted for high levels of cholesterol. So people in such families must put in more efforts at reducing their cholesterol levels.
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