LDL cholesterol is bad for your body and it is known that LDL cholesterol circulates through your blood. When too much LDL starts circulating through your blood it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that normally feed the heart and brain. A plaque is a thick hard deposit that can clog those arteries, and is basically composed by a heavy flow of the LDL cholesterol and other substances. The condition where a plaque is formed is known as arthrosclerosis. In this case, a very high heart attack or stroke risk is involved since if a clot forms, it blocks one of the narrowed arteries.
The guideline through which cholesterol levels (both LDL - low-density lipoprotein and HDL - high density lipoproteins) is measured is based on the risk of having a heart attack. The optimal level for LDL is less than 100mg/dL. Actually, for most people, less than 130mg/dL is near optimal. An increased risk of heart disease is shown when the HDL level is more than 160mg/dL or 130 mg/dL if you have two or more risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This is the reason for which most of the times, LDL cholesterol is also called "bad" cholesterol.
Lowering LDL cholesterol levels
The activity level of the low-density receptors must be increased in order to lower LDL cholesterol. Medications and diets that are low in saturated fats and cholesterol help increase the LDL receptor activities. The treatment for high cholesterol is aimed at lowering triglyceride levels, lowering the low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or the bad cholesterol and also increasing the "good" (HDL) cholesterol levels. It can result in a 30 percent reduction in coronary heart disease incidence just by decreasing total cholesterol by 10 percent. Heart disease rates drop by 2 percent for every 1 percent decrease in the LDL levels. On the other hand, there is a 2 to 3 percent increase in the risk of heart disease for every 1 percent decrease in the HDL levels.
Exercising regularly, losing excess weight, following a diet that is low in cholesterol and saturated fats is what lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol involves. When diet and exercise do not seem to help lower the LDL cholesterol to acceptable levels, medications are prescribed. To lower LDL cholesterol, the most effective and widely used medications are statins. Other medications used in altering cholesterol profiles and lowering LDL cholesterol include fibrates such as Gemfibrozil, niacin, and resins such as cholestyramine.
Jean Helmet is a content editor who focuses on a wide array of niche health topics. Her latest website - Natural Cholesterol Supplement focuses on cholesterol as a whole, and in partcular, a natural product our editors personally use with excellent health results known as - Cholest-Natural
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