What does cholesterol have
to do with heart disease?
by Neha Mehta
in Health
(submitted 2009-11-27)
Heart disease has become one of the most common diseases today. There are many reasons behind the occurrence of this fatal disease one of which is cholesterol. If there is a high amount of cholesterol present in blood, then it means a higher vulnerability to CHD or coronary heart disease. This susceptibility to CHD is even more if the type of cholesterol is high blood cholesterol. The risk to CHD is reduced if this kind of cholesterol is decreased in the body. Thereby, the
The chances of suffering from a heart attack or having an angioplasty surgery are decreased. A person needs to realize that when the quantity of this cholesterol is high in blood, it chokes up the space present in arteries inhibiting the blood flow to heart. Finding out the cholesterol levels is quite critical for all age groups of people whether women, children, adults or younger people. This includes people who suffer from heart disease and those who don't. Since the high blood cholesterol levels do not manifest themselves them in any form, people do not even know that they have it. The higher the level of cholesterol, higher the blood pressure and a higher probability of a heart disease.
Heart disease can prove to be fatal and thats why precautions need to be taken to prevent it from occurring. Age can be a very strong cause in becoming a victim of this illness. 83% victims of heart disease are within the age group of 65 years and above. Although age can lead to heart disease, but an old heart can be made to stay healthy with a balanced lifestyle. Heart disease is more common in older people than younger ones. The rate of mortality is quite high in women after a heart attack than men. Therefore, it is quite important control their lifestyles for a longevity of life. If they are not able to control their salt intake, then nothing can prevent them from becoming a victim of CHD.
The worst fact is that the CHD does not show any symptoms until and unless it has progressed too much. Thats why the older people are resistant in making any changes to their diet. Exercise and healthy diet help an older person in feeling more vibrant with higher levels of mental clarity and physical zest. Therefore they should include fresh fruits and vegetables and healthy fats in their diet apart from quitting smoking and exercising on a daily basis.
the importance of a good diet has to be recognized before it gets too late for you. Its better to eat in moderate amounts than piling weight and increasing chances of a heart disease. When the main meal is ingested in evening, then its good for weight loss. The metabolic rate is quite slow when we are sleeping and therefore its not advisable to eat dinners too late in the night. Also, the night time meal should not be piled with calories. One can have a huge amount of calories for breakfast, lunch and mid-afternoon. But the supper can be avoided if you want a hearty dinner with family.
The supper can consist of fruits in summer and low calorie containing soups in the winters to provide warmth to body. Also, evenings are perfect for walking than for watching TV. You should drink some water before eating to fill the belly and reduce the consumption of food. Drinking hot water before consuming meals is good for digestion leading to a low production of cholesterol. The presence of fats and oils in blood leads to a reduced blood pressure and a healthy heart. Also, kidneys are in a better condition with higher consumption of water.
Diabetes and heart disease go hand in hand. One of the major reasons why diabetes leads to heart disease is due to the fact that people who are suffering from diabetes have higher chances of contracting heart disease also. Diabetes leads to higher than average levels of blood sugars in the body. This means a harm caused to various parts of the body like blood vessels. So, the best way to make sure that you don't get heart disease even when you have diabetes is to regulate the level of your blood sugar. This would mean checking the blood sugar level per day and even taking medicines for controlling it. Diet and exercise also help in reducing the quantity of blood sugar. However, the most permanent way to control happening of heart disease in spite of diabetes is to lose some weight. Reducing weight can ensure that the level of blood sugar also come down. This kind of a weight loss should be more focused on cutting the flab from the waist of the body. Excessive bulge along these body parts means a higher danger of heart disease than extra fat accumulation around thighs and hips.
Everyone knows the importance of exercising. It always help if you stretch some of your muscles for some through out the day. If you understand the positive link between heart disease and age, then you can improve your exercise levels to reduce the heart disease risk. You can use the stairs instead of elevators and burn some calories to make sure that heart disease do not happen to you. Even the cars can be parked further from the shopping mall to increase the walking distance. Even 30 minutes of exercise are enough per day for 5 days for keeping the heart disease at bay. This is quite important for preventing the happening of this disease in men aged 45-64. You can do some brisk walking to get rid of some bad cholesterol and heart disease. Exercises should be encouraged in the family so that heart diseases are curbed. They can be made a part of get togethers and festival celebrations. Other kinds of exercises can be taking the dog for a walk, gardening, swimming and playing with your younger child. These exercises are mild cardiovascular exercises and can reduce the risk of a falling ill with a heart disease.
Its quite true that stress has a high amount of conjunction with heart disease. This fact has been in common knowledge for a long time, so people prone to tension have been trying to remain calm so as to not become a victim of any heart disease.
How much impact can the stress levels of a person have on the health of his heart depends on what type of stress is he exposed to, physical, mental or emotional. There has been no evidence on the association of heart disease with high levels of these kinds of stress so far although emotional stress has been linked to contraction of heart disease and an early demise. People who are not married die early than those who are. Having a spouse means higher emotional balance and succor. People who suffer from tragic changes like death of a spouse or divorce can get heart disease quite easily. The same is true in regard to an unanticipated loss of job which makes a person believe that he has no control over his life and as a result becomes anxious and depressed. People who are very short-tempered can also lose their health in a heart disease.
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