LDL or Bad Cholesterol Level

Low-density lipoproteins are considered as bad cholesterol which circulates throughout the blood streams and they slowly build up within the inner walls of the arteries that connect to the heart and brain. When these low density lipoproteins are combined with other substances, they often form plaque, which can be a thick and hard deposit that can narrow down arteries and make them less flexible. Along with the loss in flexibility, there is a loss in the flow of the blood. This condition is more commonly known as atherosclerosis. When a person is suffering from atherosclerosis, a clot can form and block the narrow arteries which can result in a stroke or even a heart attack.

The levels of low density lipoproteins are better when they are lower, the lower they are, the lower the risk of having a stroke or heart attack is. Overall, there are five categories that the levels fall into, optimal which is less than 100mg/dL, 100 to 129 mg/dL is considered as Near Optimal or Above Optimal, 130 to 159 mg/dL is considered to be Borderline High, 160 to 189 mg/dL is considered as having a High LDL Level, anything above 190 mg/dL falls under something that is Very High.

There are many other risk factors when it comes to heart disease and strokes which can help determine the LDL level of a person as well as give the person a proper and appropriate fitting treatment specifically just for them. A healthy level for one may not always be the same healthy for another friend or person. It is extremely important to be honest and open with your doctors and discuss all available treatments, the differences between levels, and the best plan that works for you overall.

There are many doctors that help profile your cholesterol level which may give you a great starting point as to learning about what you can do to prevent and treat yourself if your LDL cholesterol level is specifically high. Doctors can provide a report with information that you need to fully understand in order to maintain and manage your cholesterol level, the different health risks that may affect you and the available treatments that are open to you.

What is Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a substance that is produced from the liver and found in certain foods. It is specifically needed to make vitamin D along with some other important hormones, as well as to build cell walls, and creating a specific type of salt, bile salt, which helps in digesting fat. Our bodies can produce enough to keep us from digesting our food okay, but it is hard to avoid it since many foods readily available today contain it. One thing that psychology and science has taught us is that too much of anything is a bad thing, and that applies with cholesterol as well.

It can be a negative thing if too much is absorbed that it can circulate in the blood stream. If the cholesterol level in the blood gets high, they tend to clog the blood stream which increases risks and sometimes is the reason behind heart disease and strokes. We make too much cholesterol if we eat too much saturated fat, the fats found in animal based foods as well as diary products. Along with the intake, we produce a good sum of cholesterol from our own liver.

There are a total of two different types of cholesterol, and unlike what we may normally think, not all cholesterol is harmful to our bodies. Low-density lipoprotein is the bad type of cholesterol which may clog up blood vessels which in return increases your risk for heart diseases. The second type of cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein which is a good type of cholesterol since it clears the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol out of the blood stream and reduces the overall risk for strokes and heart diseases.

Source: helpfulhealthtips.com