Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a natural substance that has an important function in the body. It serves as a building block for cells and hormones. But, too much cholesterol can be harmful to your body. Excess cholesterol can stick to the walls of blood vessels, making it harder for blood to move through them. Sometimes cholesterol completely blocks an artery. If that happens, the body part served by the artery can't receive needed nutrients or oxygen. A heart attack can occur if cholesterol blocks an artery in the heart. A stroke occurs when an artery in the brain becomes blocked.
A high level of cholesterol in your blood puts you at risk for heart attack and stroke. This risk is as serious for women as it is for men. In fact, half of all U.S. women will die of cardiovascular disease.
The female hormone estrogen tends to protect women from the effects of too much cholesterol. But after the menopause, this protection decreases. Hormone replacement therapy after the menopause can reduce this risk.
High blood cholesterol has no symptoms. That is why every adult should have their cholesterol level checked. Your doctor can do a simple blood test that will show whether your blood cholesterol level is normal.
Knowing how to maintain a health cholesterol level through diet, exercise and regular checkups will lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Where Cholesterol comes from
Most of the cholesterol in your body is manufactured in the liver. Small amounts come from certain foods like butter, whole milk, cheese and eggs. The amount of cholesterol in your body depends partly on your diet and partly on factors passed on from your parents, your genetic makeup.What does Cholesterol do
The fat in the foods you eat is digested and sent to the liver. The liver then packages the fat into lipoproteins, which are made of cholesterol, other fats, and protein. Lipoproteins help to carry fat through your blood vessels for use or storage in other parts of the body. Without them, fat could not travel through the bloodstream. This is because blood is mainly made of water, and fat and water do not mix. There are three types of lipoproteins:- LDL (low density lipoprotein)
- VLDL (very low density lipoprotein)
- HDL (high density lipoprotein)
HDL, sometimes called "good cholesterol", keeps cholesterol from building up in artery walls by picking it up and carrying it back to the liver. Then, the liver breaks the LDL down so that it can be passed out of the body.
What happens when you eat too much fat
A high fat diet causes the liver to form more VLDL to carry the excess fat throughout the body. More VLDL means more LDL (bad cholesterol) in the blood. Too much bad cholesterol in the blood can make it difficult for the HDL (good cholesterol) to do its job. There may not be enough HDL molecules to pick up and return all the cholesterol to the liver.The cholesterol that is not captured by HDL can clog blood vessels. Gradually, these cholesterol deposits form a substance called plaque. Over a period of years, the plaque narrows and hardens the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis. This can be caused by high levels of LDL, low levels of HDL, or both.
Testing for Cholesterol Levels
The amount of cholesterol in your blood can be found by a simple blood test. Total cholesterol is the sum of LDL, VLDL and HDL. A good level of total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dl. If the blood test shows that your cholesterol level is above 200 mg/dl, a lipoprotein analysis can be done to break down the total cholesterol into LDL, VLDL, and HDL. Your LDL level should be less than 130 mg/dl. Your HDL should be more than 35 mg/dl.The most important value is LDL cholesterol. A total cholesterol level of over 240 mg/dl or an LDL cholesterol level of more than 160 mg/dl is too high. At those levels, your risk of heart attack, stroke, or other cardiovascular disease is increased. If you have high cholesterol, you should take steps to bring your level down by eating a low fat, low cholesterol diet. You should have a cholesterol test each year.
All women should have their cholesterol levels checked. Those whose cholesterol level is normal should have the test repeated about every 5 years. Those with a personal or family history of high cholesterol or cardiovascular disease should be tested every 1 to 2 years. Women who smoke or who have diabetes should also be tested every 1 to 2 years.
If your primary care provider has not checked your cholesterol recently, this test can be drawn in our office to help you know what your cholesterol level is and help reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Summary
Because heart disease affects so many women, it is important for you to be aware of the role that cholesterol plays in your health. We welcome your questions and we can help you get your cholesterol checked regularly. Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet, exercise, and stop smoking to keep your risk of cardiovascular disease as low as possible.