Cholesterol is a very dangerous lifestyle disorder that has seen a rapid rise amongst the public in recent times. Due to the sedentary lifestyle, we live and the lack of good food and exercise, most people start to accumulate bad cholesterol until it shows up in the heart, blocking blood vessels and arteries and causing major life-threatening diseases such as heart attacks, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke.
The best way to stay on top of body cholesterol level is with regular checkups at the best heart hospital in Bangalore with one of their best doctors. Regular checkups and a good and healthy lifestyle can help recognize the signs of rising cholesterol early enough so that corrective measures can be taken.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of lipid that gets accumulated in the body over time. Cholesterol is not always bad, in fact, good kinds of cholesterol are very essential for the healthy metabolism of the body. There are essentially two kinds of cholesterol in our food –
1. HDL or High-Density Lipoprotein
High-density lipoproteins are the good kind of fats or cholesterol that one must consume as part of their diet. This kind of fat or cholesterol is required to metabolize the bad cholesterol in the body and help keep the heart-healthy. The best source of HDL is from food such as nuts, fatty fish, avocados, and other such food items.
2. LDL or Low-Density Lipoprotein
Low-density lipoprotein is the bad kind of fat or cholesterol that needs to be avoided in your food. This kind of cholesterol adds to the fat in the body and excessive intake of the same can result in heart diseases and other health concerns. Examples of such foods are oily, greasy, cheesy, and sugary foods that contain high amounts of cholesterol.
- VLDL or Very Low-Density Lipoprotein
VLDL or Very Low-Density Lipoprotein is the worst kind of cholesterol that must be completely avoided from the diet. This type of cholesterol poses a severe risk to health and gets rarely metabolized and therefore stick around in the body. The prime kinds of VLDL are trans fats and triglycerides from fatty, greasy foods.
Cholesterol and Heart Attacks
Cholesterol is closely linked to heart diseases because of the fact that cholesterol accumulates in the system and is not metabolized at a fast rate. It also ends up lining the arteries of the body and causes constriction of the blood vessels, therefore decreasing the blood flow.
Cholesterol can also block the arteries from the heart to the various organs and cause muscle failure and the death of muscles due to lack of oxygen. Cholesterol also lines the arterial walls and clogs the blood flow between the chambers of the heart causing heart diseases.
Cholesterol is a dangerous substance that can easily attach itself to all arteries and veins and constricts the blood vessels eventually causing the blood flow to drop. This can result in heart attacks, chest pains, strokes in the brain, high blood pressure, and diabetes in humans.
The only way to manage cholesterol is by keeping a good diet that is free of LDL and VLDL and regular exercise to metabolize the fats. Also being regularly checked at one of the best hospitals in Bangalore can help keep a tab on cholesterol and heart health. Whenever there are signs that the cholesterol levels are rising, a good doctor can put the patient on alert by changing the diet, correcting lifestyle, and with medication that can help in managing cholesterol levels.
