There are two terms worth knowing when it comes to blood lipids and cholesterol. Hyperlipidemia implies too many lipids (or fats) in your blood, like cholesterol and triglycerides. One type of hyperlipidemia, hypercholesterolemia, means that you have too much cholesterol, especially LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood. Fatty residue in your arteries and the risk of blockages are increased. Cholesterol is a waxy substance and needs to be coupled with proteins to be carried in your bloodstream (lipoproteins). Another type of hyperlipidemia is hypertriglyceridemia in which fat itself is elevated in your circulating blood.
When we measure a lipid panel for members at myhealthypotential.com, we are testing for total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL-cholesterol), and triglycerides.
Your cholesterol numbers may be elevated and also be out of balance. For example, you might have levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol that are not markedly elevated, But at the same time, you can also have levels of HDL (good) cholesterol that are too low (this is frequently associated with elevated triglycerides in prediabetes). Your risk of plaque and blockage is increased with lower HDL since it tends to remove cholesterol from your arteries, and with elevated triglycerides.
If hyperlipidemia is diagnosed, your overall health and other identified risks (such as smoking or hypertension) become even more important and help to guide your lifestyle modification efforts. Thus a number of risk factors can be combined with high LDL or low HDL cholesterol to affect your cardiac health. We use the Framingham Point Score and the National Institutes of Health’s 10-Year Risk Estimate to evaluate a coronary event risk for members in the next 10 years.
It’s great news that the risk of heart and stroke can be decreased in members with high cholesterol. Test your cholesterol and work with us to adjust your cholesterol levels if needed, starting at age 20 and above. Then we will track changes in your lipid profile over time to monitor your improvement.
Changing lifestyle habits can take some time to get your numbers in line. But you should work towards improving your lifestyle for about 6-8 months and you should be rewarded with decent results. If changes in lifestyle alone do not enhance your cholesterol ratios and triglyceride concentrations, your physician 0r other health care provider might choose to recommend medication.
Heart-healthy diet
What lifestyle changes are helpful? A diet low in saturated fat and trans fat and cholesterol can help lower your risks. The American Heart Association advises that saturated fat be kept to 5 to 6% of daily calories and that trans-fat be eliminated.
A healthy diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, seafood and nuts while curbing refined sugar foods and drinks. It can also help increase your dietary fiber intake, which is helpful in reducing fat absorption. A high-fiber diet can reduce cholesterol by as much as 10%.
This overall description of a healthy diet fits many diets. For instance, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), as well as diets recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association are all approaches to heart health. These diets can be adjusted according to your cultural and food preferences.
You will probably need to pay more attention to food labels in order to be more clever about what you eat.
- Know which fat is the main cause of your heart disease risk. Know which fats increase LDL (bad) cholesterol and which ones don’t.
- A healthy heart food plan may assist you to control your amount of cholesterol in your blood.
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Get more active physically!
HDL (good) cholesterol is lowered by a sedentary lifestyle and physical activity helps raise HDL. Higher HDL implies that LDL (bad) cholesterol can be better removed from your arteries. Just 150 minutes a week of an aerobic workout as simple as walking is enough to bring cholesterol and high blood pressure to healthier levels.
Losing weight
The fact that you are overweight or obese tends to increase LDL (poor) and reduce HDL (good) cholesterol. Losing excess weight can help. A weight loss of just 10 percent can help you improve your cholesterol levels. Triglycerides are your body’s most common fat. They store your diet’s excess energy as fat, usually in all the wrong places like around you heart and internal organs. Losing weight is really important to your health in many ways, and improving your lipid profile is one important benefit.
How much exercise do you need to lose weight? Find out more here: https://myhealthypotential.net/04172016-how-much-exercise-for-weight-loss/
If you want help in making better decisions with your health, we are here to help. Our coaches are trained in nutrition and exercise physiology. Also, we offer our services online for your convenience. If you want to discuss our strategy, contact us through our contact page, https://myhealthypotential.net/contact. Having a health coach can help you minimize any risks. Start taking control of your health. If you are a free member but know you need help to stay on track, we suggest you Upgrade your membership to get the best help you need!
