Generally speaking, for a healthy heart the aim is to have a low non-HDL level and a higher HDL level. Your blood is then checked for levels of good (HDL) cholesterol, bad (non-HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as getting a total cholesterol result.Ĭholesterol and triglycerides are measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, usually shortened to 'mmol/Litre' or 'mmol/L'. Your GP or practice nurse will take a blood sample, usually by pricking your finger or you might be asked to go for a blood test at your local hospital. How is cholesterol measured?īlood cholesterol levels are measured using a simple blood test. It's a hidden risk factor which means it happens without us knowing until it's too late. There aren't usually any typical signs you have high cholesterol which is why it's so important to get it checked out. Endocrine disorders including hypothyroidism, which is also called underactive thyroid (when not enough of the thyroid hormone is made) and growth hormone deficiency (when not enough of the growth hormone is made).Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH), a form of high cholesterol you are born with.Things that cause high cholesterol you can't control: If you are overweight or have diabetes, you are at greater risk of having high cholesterol. Smoking can lead to high cholesterol levels, and the build-up of tar it causes in your arteries makes it easier for cholesterol to stick to your artery walls. having too much body fat, especially around your middle. Things that cause high cholesterol you can control: As long as you take care of the things you can control, you’ll help lower your risk. Some things you can control like lifestyle habits, others you can’t. Our nurse talks about cholesterol numbers in our below video:Īnyone can get high cholesterol, and it can be caused by many different things. There is no specific target cholesterol level because your doctor is looking at your overall risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases. A high level of good (HDL) cholesterol can help keep that bad cholesterol in check and remove it from your body. If your total cholesterol is high, it can mean that you have a lot of bad (non-HDL) cholesterol in your blood. It makes it harder for blood to flow through, which can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. This can lead to fatty material (atheroma) building up - this process is known as atherosclerosis. Too much bad cholesterol (non-HDL) can be harmful because it sticks to the inside walls of your arteries. Non-HDL take cholesterol from the liver to the cells around your body. You can have a normal level of HDL and non-HDL cholesterol but still have a high triglyceride level. You may see it on your cholesterol reading results, and your doctor will be able to tell you if it's too high. Triglycerides can also contribute to the narrowing of the artery walls, increasing your risk. Being very overweight, eating a lot of fatty and sugary foods or drinking too much alcohol can make you more likely to have a high triglyceride level. Our blood also contains a type of fat called triglycerides. This was previously used as the main measure of bad cholesterol but we now know that other forms of non-HDL cholesterol are also harmful. You may have also heard 'bad' cholesterol being called 'LDL' cholesterol. This clogs them up causing narrowing of the arteries which increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. This is because when there is too much of it, it can build up inside the walls of the blood vessels. Non-high-density lipoproteins or non-HDL is called 'bad' cholesterol. The liver breaks it down so it can be passed out of your body. It takes cholesterol that you don’t need back to the liver. This is because it gets rid of the ‘bad’ cholesterol from your blood. High-density lipoproteins or HDL is called ‘good’ cholesterol. When cholesterol and proteins combine, they're called lipoproteins. Cholesterol is carried in your blood by proteins. Having too much 'bad' cholesterol can cause problems with your health. There are two main types of cholesterol, one good and the other bad. This can increase your risk of heart and circulatory diseases such as heart attack and stroke. High cholesterol is when you have too much cholesterol in your blood. Some of this cholesterol comes from the food we eat. We need it to stay healthy because every cell in our body uses it. What is high cholesterol?Ĭholesterol is a fatty substance found in your blood. Having high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart and circulatory diseases such as heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia. High Cholesterol - Causes, Symptoms & Treatments
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