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Written by Karen Stokes
High cholesterol levels pose a serious threat to health, so individuals should take immediate steps to address this problem.
More than 40% of adults in the United States are unaware they have high cholesterol and therefore do not receive treatment for it, according to a new study published in JAMA Cardiology.
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Dr. Paul Pienkos, cardiologist with Ascension Medical Group at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Ozaukee (Photo/Ascension, Wisconsin)
“Cholesterol is one of the major risk factors that leads people to developing heart disease,” said Dr. Paul S. Pienkos, a cardiologist with Ascension Medical Group. These are the main causes. Other risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, weight, and smoking are very important to address to reduce the risk of future events.”
Dr. Pienkos added, “Taken together, these risk factors increase the likelihood of developing early-onset coronary heart disease and other health problems, whether cardiac or otherwise.” .
Most heart and blood vessel diseases are caused by cholesterol, plaque, and other fatty deposits that build up on artery walls. The arteries that feed the heart can become so clogged that blood flow is reduced, causing chest pain. If a blood clot forms and blocks an artery, a heart attack can occur. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), a blood clot causes a stroke when it blocks an artery leading to or within the brain.
“The main category is LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which many people refer to as ‘bad’ cholesterol, which increases the risk of inflammation in blood vessels and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. So when you think about cholesterol, LDL is probably the most important factor,” Dr. Pienkos said. “Often patients are also concerned about other adversaries of their cholesterol profile, such as HDL (high-density lipoprotein), which is the ‘good’ cholesterol, but from a guideline perspective, this has been a focus in recent years. actually lowers cholesterol risk factors. It’s LDL. ”
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(American Heart Association)
According to the AHA, high-density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) is called “good” cholesterol because it removes cholesterol from the bloodstream and artery walls. Healthy HDL cholesterol levels can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
To improve your cholesterol, you can make lifestyle changes. Dr. Pienkos suggests: While watching your calorie intake and trying to eat a nutritious, plant-based diet that’s low in saturated fat, he also recommends at least 30 minutes of activity each day, such as exercise or walking.
For more information, visit the AHA’s website heart.org for topics such as exercise, what to eat, foods to limit, and cooking tips for a heart-healthy diet. Dr. Pienkos recommends.
“People can develop high cholesterol at any age, depending on their environment, nutrition, and fitness. So get your cholesterol evaluated by your provider to determine if you’re predisposed to having high cholesterol. “It’s important that many patients have higher predisposition or genetic cholesterol that can increase their risk five to 10 times higher than the population risk,” Dr. Pienkos said.
“Typically, the first symptom is often an event such as a stroke, heart attack, or sudden hospitalization. There are hundreds of thousands of such hospitalizations each year. Screening to find out if you have high cholesterol is very important. “It’s important,” he said.
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