Transcript Communication Project

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver and other
cells and found in certain foods, such as food from animals, like dairy
products, eggs, and meat
"cholesterol" comes from the Greek word chole, meaning "bile", and
the Greek word stereos, meaning "solid, stiff"
Cholesterol is a waxy steroid that is transported in the blood plasma of
all animals
Cholesterol travels through blood attached to a protein
called a lipoprotein
Lipoproteins are classified as high density, low density,or
very low density
Low density lipoproteins (LDL): LDL, also called "bad"
cholesterol, can cause buildup of plaque on the walls of
arteries. The more LDL there is in the blood, the greater the
risk of heart disease
High density lipoproteins (HDL): HDL, also called "good"
cholesterol, helps the body get rid of bad cholesterol in the
blood. The higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the better. If
your levels of HDL are low, your risk of heart disease
increases.
Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL): VLDL is similar to
LDL cholesterol in that it contains mostly fat and not much
protein.
Diet – saturated fat and cholesterol in food increase
cholesterol levels
Weight – being overweight can also increase your
cholesterol.
Age and Gender – cholesterol levels rise with age. Before
menopause, women tend to have lower total cholesterol
levels than men of the same age. After menopause, however,
women’s LDL levels can fall.
Diabetes – Poorly controlled diabetes increases cholesterol
levels.
Heredity – Your genes partly determine how much
cholesterol your body makes. High Cholesterol can run in
families.
Other Causes – Certain medications and medical
conditions can cause high cholesterol.
It builds and maintains cell membranes
Essential for determining which molecules can pass into the cell and
which cannot
Involved in the production of sex hormones
Essential for the production of hormones released by the adrenal
glands.
Aids in the production of bile
Converts sunshine to vitamin D
important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins,vitamins A, D, E,
and K
Insulates Fibers
The amount of cholesterol in human blood can vary from 3.6
mmol/liter to 7.8 mmol/liter
The National Health Service says that any reading over 6
mmol/liter is high, and will significantly raise the risk of arterial
disease
Below is a list of cholesterol levels and how most doctors would
categorize them in mg/dl (milligrams/deciliter) and 5mmol/liter
(millimoles/liter).
Desirable - Less than 200 mg/dL
Borderline high - 200 to 239 mg/dL
High - 240 mg/dL and above
Optimum level: less than 5mmol/liter
Mildly high cholesterol level: between 5 to
6.4mmol/liter
Moderately high cholesterol level: between 6.5 to
7.8mmol/liter
Very high cholesterol level: above 7.8mmol/liter
Atherosclerosis - narrowing of the arteries
Higher coronary heart disease risk - an abnormality of the arteries that
supply blood and oxygen to the heart
Heart attack - occurs when the supply of blood and oxygen to an area
of heart muscle is blocked, usually by a clot in a coronary artery
Angina - chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle
does not get enough blood
Other cardiovascular conditions - diseases of the heart and blood
vessels
Stroke and mini-stroke - occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or
vein, interrupting the flow to an area of the brain
Everyone over the age of 20 should get their cholesterol
levels measured at least once every five years
High Cholesterol itself does not cause any symptoms;
so many people are unaware that their cholesterol levels
are too high
To assess your cholesterol level, your doctor will usually
perform a simple blood test called a lipoprotein profile.
The lipoprotein profile evaluates the following:
LDL (low density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called
"bad" cholesterol)
HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol, also called
"good" cholesterol)
Triglycerides (also called very low density lipoprotein)
Total cholesterol level
In addition to the blood test, your doctor will perform a
full physical exam, discussing your medical history,
checking your heart rate, listening to your heartbeat, and
taking your blood pressure.
There's a lot of variability in how high cholesterol
treatments work in a given person. For most people, the
first high cholesterol treatment to try is three lifestyle
changes:
Eating healthy
Maintaining (or losing) weight
Exercising more
If lifestyle changes haven't been enough as a high
cholesterol treatment, your doctor will likely turn to
medications. In most cases, the first drug you will try is a
statin
Types of Medications – Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, & Zocor
Function – Work by blocking the effects of an enzyme
that helps make cholesterol
Effects – Lower bad LDL cholesterol by an impressive 2055%. Statins are a complement to dietary changes, not a
replacement for them
You can help prevent high cholesterol by:
Eating a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol
Getting plenty of exercise
Managing your weight
Not Smoking
Because cholesterol levels tend to increase with age,
paying attention to diet and exercise is even more
important as you get older
Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways:
Oats- An easy first step to improving your cholesterol is
having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like
Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble
fiber
Barley and other whole grains - Like oats and oat bran, barley
and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart
disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver
Beans - Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also
take awhile for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for
longer after a meal
Eggplant and okra: These two low-calorie vegetables are
good sources of soluble fiber
Nuts: A bushel of studies shows that eating almonds,
walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating
2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, on the order of
5%
Vegetable oils: Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola,
sunflower, safflower, and others in place of butter, lard, or
shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL
Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits: These fruits are
rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL
Sterols and stanols - extracted from plants gum up the body's ability
to absorb cholesterol from food. Getting 2 grams of plant sterols or
stanols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%
Soy - Eating soybeans and foods made from them, like tofu and soy
milk, was once touted as a powerful way to lower cholesterol
Fatty fish - Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two
ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by
delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in
the bloodstream
Fiber supplements - Supplements offer the least appealing way to get
soluble fiber
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