The Risk Factors for High Cholesterol You might say that you're very well learned with the risks of heart disease; especially with the high amount of information that is available on this subject. But risk factors for high cholesterol, are a completely different story altogether. You may be wondering what they are. Perhaps you are wondering what they have to do with you. The first thing that needs to be said is in identifying what they are.
Some are part of your diet such as fast foods, chips, soft drinks, candy bars, refined sugars, butter cream, fried cheese, fried dough, and cotton candy. These are the ones you can control with a great deal less effort than you think. You probably grew up eating these things. They are familiar to you and they are likely your comfort foods. However you should be warned that they will kill you if you let them. Some risk factors for high cholesterol are part of your normal every day lifestyle.
Weight problems, smoking, alcohol abuse, and laziness are all another part of your daily life structure. Some of these are health conditions you did not choose for yourself as they were handed down from your parents. However, they are still there and can destroy you. Diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, hyperthyroidism are just some of the dangers that these foods invoke. Some specific prescription drugs can also destroy you. Blood pressure medicine (such as clonidine and methyldopa), diuretics (water pills), anabolic steroids, beta blockers, and progestins can all cause harmful or even fatal complications. All these risk factors for high cholesterol affect you in different ways, but I assure that they do effect you.
If you want to do something about the risks you face you must first be honest with yourself about what your problem areas are that you face them. This may sound completely obvious to you already, but self-denial is a powerful force. If your diet is too heavy in saturated fats and transfatty acids, you will need to reduce them dramatically. If you do not exercise regularly, you should start because it is never too late. (it doesn't have to be two hours at the gym every day, just a mere 30-minute walk will suffice). If you take prescribed medications for other conditions, you should consult your doctor. The most important thing is to face the risks and then deal with them.
Lowering your cholesterol doesn’t have to be the most difficult thing you do, it is necessary only that it be a main priority. In lowering your cholesterol, you are guaranteeing that you are working to prevent serious illnesses. You can’t always stop them all together but you can combat them.
Cholesterol Drugs - The Dangers of Cholesterol Drugs
When it comes to treating high cholesterol, you are often prescribed certain drugs by your doctors. These are called statin drugs. The statins are a specific class of drugs, which are more formally referred to as pharmaceuticals, and are used to reduce cholesterol levels. There are many accusations that are made against the use of statin drug dangers and some of these dangers include: peripheral neuropathy, muscle damage, elevated liver enzyme indices, plasma fibrinogen levels and including kidney damage. You must remember however that these are only allegations at this point and not set in stone.
Some studies have been made in this area. The medical community as a whole has yet to make any definitive judgment on the allegations that are not fully corroborated studies. Some of the common complaints of side effects include memory loss, personality changes, irritability and muscle pain. These are not occurring to all who take them, but they are occurring.
Statin drug dangers in the United States are all due to the seven statin drugs on the market. There are those that are in the fermentation group which are lovastatin, pravastatin and simvastatin. Next there are those that are in the synthetic group which are atorvastatin, fluvastatin, rusovastatin and cerivastatin. Some of the brand names of these same drugs are: Zocor, Lipitor and Pravachol. Those in the fermentation group seem to be more effective in lowering LDL levels.
Without question there have been a number of deaths that have been related to the use statin drugs. Separating them however, is in part a job for the experts and in part a challenge that is actually caused by the experts. With you now knowing this, you must do more than simply read what the media reports on the deaths that are related to any specific medication. The media are journalists and newscasters and it is not their job to diagnose the causes of deaths.. They are not medical specialists either and are therefore not equipped to do so. To better understand the real statin drug dangers and the implications for you, consult your physician and assess the chances of these major side effects.
If you do feel that you would benefit from using any of the drugs mentioned here for controlling your cholesterol levels, your doctor is your first place to go. If your doctor gives you the ok, you should then follow the instructions to the letter. Misusing your medication can be fatal. You should also keep following your diet and exercise plan because the drugs can only do so much to help you. In the end, you have to help yourself too.
Controlling your Cholesterol
How you should best control it if you have high cholesterol depends on how high it is and why it is so high in the first place. By doing this you will at least be aware of the risk of having high cholesterol. You may already know that you have it. You may just want to learn more about it. Either way, you will need to get a grip on your cholesterol and get informed about controlling it.
You may know that cholesterol plays a significant and decisive role to heart disease. You probably already know that the primary cause of heart attack and stroke are clogged arteries, and blood clots because of those arteries traveling to either the heart or the brain, and that high cholesterol is what clogs the arteries. You likely already know that it is important to control high cholesterol before it gets to be high. If you don’t….now you do.
If you have high cholesterol, you are going to want to lower it. If you don't, you want to know how to avoid getting it in the first place. Your first step to control high cholesterol is to establish healthy eating habits, healthy exercise habits and healthy drinking and smoking habits. When I say healthy habits there is a meaning to this.
Healthy smoking habits are not smoking cigarettes and cigars that are healthy it is a fireplace with the vent open, meat or vegetables on the grill, or perhaps fireworks in July. Tobacco smokers have a single advantage over nonsmokers: if they quit they raise their HDL cholesterol levels very quickly, and that's a good thing. Healthy drinking habits are a little less crazy than smoking. Indications today state that a glass of red wine a day actually helps raise HDL cholesterol.
Healthy exercise habits mean regular aerobic exercise at least several times a week. This can be walking for 30 minutes, tennis, running, cycling, volleyball. Whatever you enjoy doing and it gives you a good cardiovascular workout. Healthy eating habits are one of the best ways to control high cholesterol. If you do this it will give you higher HDL and, more importantly, much lower LDL. What these whole foods do place more emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and less on animal products that are high in saturated fats and they focus less on processed foods. They could mean the difference from you having a heart strong enough body to maintain it properly.
Ken Mathie
