Cholesterol is the name that scares one and all in terms of health. Here are some healthy eating habits to control cholesterol. The key cause of heart diseases as the doctors suggest is cholesterol. High cholesterol level in the blood can not only lead to heart attacks but also several weight problems.
Let us first understand what this cholesterol is – It is a waxy fat-like substance naturally made in the liver of our body. Though cholesterol holds a thorough 'bad guy image,' surprisingly it serves many vital functions for our healthy living.
These days the experts are divided in to two opinion polls where one holds cholesterol as the whole sole villain and the others contradict saying that it is not the only dominant reason for heart diseases.
Coronary heart disease or the CHD is the medical term for heart attacks. While studies have shown that having a higher level of cholesterol increases the risk of suffering with CHD, people with low cholesterol levels are less likely to get it. Hence, lowering the bad cholesterol in your blood stream seems to be a drastic solution to coronary heart diseases.
Recently, a study was conducted where statins that are the drugs to lower the total cholesterol level were given to some patients, and this reduced their chance of suffering a heart attack phenomenally, hence undermining the need of undergoing a bypass surgery, and total negation to death from CHD - related causes.
Besides high cholesterol on the blood stream, there are some other risk factors as well that increase the risk of developing a heart disease. While some of them can be changed, some are undeniably here to stay. And the fact remains that the more conditions you meet, higher the risk is of experiencing a heart disease.
Here are the risk factors that you must know but you can’t really help yourself in these cases:
1. Age
The chances of suffering CHD increase with your age – for males it is 45 years and older; for females it is 55 years and older.
2. Genetics
In case heart troubles persist in your family history that is parents or blood related relatives dying of heart diseases, it can be a case for you as well.
Take some time to review the factors given below thoroughly and work towards the changes as soon as possible and these are quite controllable if concentrated on in time:
1. High level bad cholesterol in the blood.
2. Lower levels of the good cholesterol in your blood.
3. Your history of smoking.
4. High Blood Pressure owing to the genetic predisposition or some family history regarding high blood pressures.
5. History of Diabetes and if this has some family history.
6. No exercising - living quite a sedentary lifestyle.
7. Obesity or overweight.
Let your consulting physician if you suffering with high blood cholesterol and take his words seriously in order to live a healthy life.
Some experts disagree with the fact that only high cholesterol level adds to the risk of CHD, and they rather put the blame on the animal fats.
Another belief of the experts explains that weight, stress and physical activity influence the level of cholesterol in our blood. They say that while it can not be really that dangerous, but it certainly reflects on one's unhealthy lifestyle.
However, while the experts are having a hard time making a unanimous decision, we can make one safely that leading a healthy lifestyle would lead to no problems absolutely!