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a form of fat that performs necessary functions in the body but can also cause heart disease; cholesterol is found in animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products

bad cholesterol guide

Why Bad Is Bad For You

LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, has been dubbed bad cholesterol. This bad is bad because high level of LDL levels in your blood over time can build up in the walls of your arteries that feed the organs in your body. Plaque causes the arteries to become narrow and less flexible, a condition called atherosclerosis. If an artery becomes too narrow or becomes completely blocked by a clot heart attack and stroke can be the result.

A test revealing a measured bad level of between 130-159 mg/dl is considered to be borderline high. LDL blood levels of 160 mg/dl or higher are considered high. Bad levels should be held down to 129 mg/dl or lower, anything less than 100 mg/dl is optimal.

Controlling Bad Cholesterol

Controlling high levels of bad can be difficult by dietary means alone. Reading labels and ingesting low fat, free foods along with increasing regular exercise can help lower LDL levels. But having high levels of bad also comes from genetics. If your parents and their siblings and their parents generally have higher than normal levels it is likely that you will too.

There are many prescription medicines that can help lower bad cholesterol. If you have made proper dietary and lifestyle changes with no result, cholesterol-reducing drugs, known at statins, can be taken. As with any medicine, statins have side effects. Mild side effects such as stomach upset, gas, constipation and cramping usually go away after taking the drug for a short while. Serious side effects while taking statins are rare but include liver problems and muscle pain and weakness. Liver function tests are regularly given to patients using statin drugs to monitor for problems.

Good Must Be Monitored Also

When your levels are tested another type of cholesterol, known as high-density lipoprotein or HDL, is measured also. HDL is commonly though of as the good cholesterol. Unlike bad cholesterol, low levels (40 mg/dl or less) of HDL can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. An HDL level of 60 mg/dl is desirable.

Increased Risks As You Age

Monitoring your and maintaining healthy levels becomes more and more important as we get older. Aging brings about changes that increase our risks for health problems such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Age related diseases such as arthritis cause people to become less active when they get older. So controlling your levels become even more important later in life to ensure a long vigorous life.

Here are some great additional articles.

HDL Or Good Cholesterol
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Staying Healthy by Avoiding a List of High Cholesterol Foods
Staying Healthy by Avoiding a List of High Cholesterol FoodsHigh cholesterol foods may often be tasty but they can be shortening a person’s life span by raising the Read more...

What Are Healthy Cholesterol Levels?
What Are Healthy Cholesterol Levels?One of the leading causes of death today is heart disease. This is because elevated LDL cholesterol levels and low HDL cholesterol Read more...




	Disclaimer: This article is designed to provide general information. It is not intended to be, nor is it, medical advice. Readers should consult their physicians when they have health concerns.