High Blood Cholesterol Level Complications
LDL is also commonly called “bad cholesterol” as it forms plaques blocking blood arteries and preventing the body from functioning as it should. When the plaques are still small and soft, the symptoms may not be felt by the patient, but with time they become bigger as the substances accumulate, so calcium deposits can form.
Atherosclerosis is the direct result of these processes; it happens as the walls of the arteries become inflexible and thick. There are other risk factors likely to contribute to the progression of this condition: abnormally high blood pressure, smoking, obesity and inactive lifestyle. When several factors are present, the risk increases significantly.
However, high blood cholesterol level may affect your health to a greater extent. Heart muscles are likely to be damaged, and the risk of developing heart disease increases, too. In people taking aspirin to deal with their heart disease, high blood cholesterol can reduce the protection.
LDL – Low Density Lipoproteins, Also Referred to as the "Bad Cholesterol”
LDL is the main concern for most doctors and patients. Many studies have confirmed that the lower your LDL cholesterol level is, the less likely you are to get heart disease. So, reducing LDL cholesterol level is the main purpose of cholesterol treatment.
LDL is responsible for the transportation of 75% of cholesterol in the blood to the cells, and under normal conditions, it’s quite harmless. However, when LDL experiences the effects of oxidation, it can cause inflammatory response of the walls of the arteries.
Cholesterol and Triglycerides
Triglycerides contribute to the problems the patient can have with the heart. Cholesterol and triglycerides are likely to interact, which leads to the levels of HDL falling.
High amounts of triglycerides, even if the patient has a normal cholesterol level, can present dangers, such as inflammatory responses and blood clots that lead to heart attack.
Coronary Artery Disease and High Blood Cholesterol Level
Coronary artery disease or simply heart disease is the cause of most deaths in the USA. The annual number can vary, but five years ago it was half a million deaths.
However, over the past 30 years this number has reduced significantly, and hopefully will continue to go down. This is attributed to more successful methods of treatment applied by the doctors, as well as reliable statin medication and cholesterol management techniques.
It’s now known that high cholesterol level – 200 mg/dL and more – increases the risk of developing dangerous conditions. A serious study showed that every time your cholesterol level drops by just one point, the risk of developing heart disease is reduced by 2%. This is a chance many people would really appreciate.
High Blood Cholesterol and Stroke
Ischemic stroke can be caused by the blockage of the carotid arteries responsible for the delivery of blood to the brain. It’s thought that a high level of HDL is a major factor that can prevent the stroke from taking place. HDL is also thought to be able to prevent hemorrhagic stroke, attributed to the brain bleeding caused by a very low total cholesterol level.
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