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Cardiovascular Health, Fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis, Diabetes, High Cholesterol, High Triglycerides,
Acid Reflux,
Heartburn, High
Blood Pressure, Hypoglycemia, Irritable
Bowel, Menopause, Arthritis,
Rheumatoid Arthritis,
Reduce Cholesterol.
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What
is Cholesterol? What are triglycerides?
Cholesterol and triglycerides are two forms of lipid, or fat. Both
cholesterol and triglycerides are necessary for life itself. Cholesterol
is necessary, among other things, for building cell membranes and for
making several essential hormones. Triglycerides, which are chains of
high-energy fatty acids, provide much of the energy needed for cells to
function.
Where
do cholesterol and triglycerides come from?
There are two
sources for these lipids: dietary sources, and endogenous sources (i.e.,
manufactured within the body).
Dietary cholesterol
and triglycerides mainly come from eating animal products and saturated
fat. These dietary lipids are absorbed through the gut, assembled there
into special packets called chylomicrons, and then are delivered through
the bloodstream to the liver, where they are processed.
One of the main jobs
of the liver is to make sure all the tissues of the body receive the
cholesterol and triglycerides they need to function. Whenever possible
(i.e., for about 8 hours after a meal), the liver takes up dietary
cholesterol and triglycerides from the chylomicrons produced in the
intestines. During times when dietary lipids are not available, the
liver produces cholesterol and triglycerides itself.
The liver then
packages the cholesterol and triglycerides, along with special proteins,
into tiny spheres called lipoproteins. The lipoproteins are released
into the circulation, and are delivered to the cells of the body. The
cells remove the needed cholesterol and triglycerides from the
lipoproteins, as they are needed.
What
are LDL, HDL, and VLDL?
LDL, HDL and VLDL
are the names of the three major varieties of lipoproteins. LDL stands
for “low density lipoprotein;” HDL for “high density
lipoprotein;” and VLDL for “very low density lipoprotein.”
In the bloodstream,
“bad” cholesterol is carried in LDL, “good” cholesterol is
carried in HDL, and triglycerides are carried in VLDL. Most cholesterol
in the blood comes from LDL. Only a small proportion is from HDL
cholesterol. Thus, the total cholesterol level in the blood is usually a
reflection of the amount of LDL cholesterol.
Why
are high cholesterol levels bad?
When LDL cholesterol
levels (i.e., the “bad” cholesterol) are too high, the LDL tends to
stick the lining of the blood vessels, leading to the stimulation of “atherosclerosis,”
or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerotic “plaques” cause
narrowing of the arteries, and lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Therefore, elevated LDL cholesterol levels (and, since most cholesterol
is from LDL, elevated total cholesterol levels) is a major risk factor
for heart disease and stroke.
Why
is some cholesterol called “good cholesterol”?
Much evidence has
now accumulated that increased HDL cholesterol levels are associated
with a lower risk of heart disease, and that low HDL cholesterol levels
are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Thus, HDL
cholesterol appears to be “good.”
Why is HDL
cholesterol protective? Nobody knows for sure, but it appears that
it’s not the cholesterol itself that is good, it’s the
"vehicle." There is some evidence that the HDL molecule
“scours” the walls of blood vessels, and cleans out excess
cholesterol. If this is the case, the cholesterol being carried by HDL
(that is, the “good” HDL cholesterol) is actually “bad”
cholesterol that has just been removed from blood vessels, and is being
transported back to the liver for further processing. Apparently, unlike
some bad humans, bad cholesterol can be rehabilitated.
Why
are triglycerides the Rodney Dangerfield of lipids?
Triglycerides get
little respect. Their measurement is part of a standard blood lipid
profile, but for the most part doctors don’t know what to do when
triglyceride levels are modestly elevated.
Why is that? While
high triglyceride levels have been associated with heart disease, no
study has yet proven that high triglyceride levels are an independent
risk factor for heart disease. So doctors don’t have the evidence they
need to recommend aggressive triglyceride-lowering therapy.
The problem is,
patients with elevated triglyceride levels almost invariably have other
major risk factors for heart disease (mainly obesity, diabetes, and/or
high blood pressure), and so far it has not been possible to sort out
whether the triglycerides themselves pose an independent risk.
The most
difficult-to-sort-out association is that between triglycerides and HDL
cholesterol. It turns out that whenever triglycerides are increased, HDL
cholesterol decreases. So is the increased risk seen with high
triglycerides due to the triglycerides themselves, or to the associated
reduction in “good” cholesterol? So far, nobody can say for sure.
However, recent
evidence strongly suggests that an elevated triglyceride level is a
significant risk factor for cardiac disease - especially when it is
elevated as part of the "metabolic syndrome," sometimes called
Syndrome X. (More on the metabolic syndrome on the following page.)
What
can cause increased cholesterol?
Elevated cholesterol
levels can be caused by several factors, including:
- Increased cholesterol levels can be hereditary.
- A diet high in saturated fat and
cholesterol can increase cholesterol levels.
- Being overweight increases LDL cholesterol
and decreases HDL cholesterol.
- Being sedentary increases LDL cholesterol
and decreases HDL cholesterol.
- Age: cholesterol levels increase with age,
beginning at about age 20.
- Gender: females prior to menopause have
cholesterol levels lower than men at the same age, but when menopause
occurs their LDL cholesterol levels increase, as does the risk of heart
disease.
Of these causative
factors, heredity, age and gender cannot be controlled. The other
causative factors can.
"Secondary"
elevation of cholesterol
Some people have
elevated cholesterol levels as a result of specific diseases or medical
conditions. These people are said to have "secondary lipid
disorders." In these individuals, treating the underlying medical
problem often results in an improvement in cholesterol levels.
Conversely, if the underlying medical condition is "missed,"
successfully reducing cholesterol is difficult if not impossible. Thus,
any patient whose cholesterol levels are elevated should be screened for
one of these causes of secondary lipid disorders. These causes are:
diabetes, hypothyroidism (low thyroid,) obstructive liver disease,
chronic renal (kidney) failure, and drugs (anabolic steroids,
progesterone drugs, and corticosteroids.)
Don't risk your health. High triglycerides are very
dangerous and no time should be wasted in bringing them under control. Get
professional support now without drugs and without side effects.
More
On Cholesterol/Triglycerides>>>>>>
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