Treating High Cholesterol Levels In Blood

By Author: Michael Vaughan
Total Articles: 11
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Cholesterol is concerned with levels of fatty acids in the blood. There are two kinds of cholesterol LDL and HDL. Where the high levels of latter
are always preferred, the high levels of former is generally intended to increase the risk to heart diseases. Particularly there are no typical
symptoms that could explain your cholesterol level so a regular check up may help you know your cholesterol level.
High levels of cholesterol used to get deposited in the blood vessels as clots. These clots may hinder the supply of blood and oxygen to the
heart. Hindered blood supply may cause chest pain while complete blockage of blood becomes the cause of heart attacks and that can be sometimes
fatal as well. So, timely evaluation and treatment of cholesterol levels is highly necessary, especially when dealing with href="http://www.thecaringspace.com/">elder care.
Treating High Cholesterol Levels
The primary goal of treatments to lower cholesterol is to decrease the risk of heart disease. There are two primary ways to lower cholesterol
levels: Therapeutic Lifestyle ...
... Changes (TLC) and medication.
Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) includes various steps you can make to lower LDL cholesterol, including diet, weight control, and physical
activity.
The TLC Diet. This eating plan is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It requires less than 7 percent of calories to be from saturated
fat and less than 200 mg of cholesterol intake per day. If LDL levels are not sufficiently lowered by decreasing saturated fat and cholesterol
alone, soluble fiber intake should be increased. To increase its LDL-lowering power, foods that have plant stanols or sterols (like
cholesterol-lowering margarines) can also be included in the diet.
Weight control. If you are overweight or obese, losing weight can help lower LDL. It is particularly important when one has high
triglyceride and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and is overweight or obese.
Physical Activity. Everyone is recommended to partake in regular physical activity, or at least 30 minutes a day at least 4 days week. It
helps to increase HDL and decrease LDL levels. It is particularly important when one has high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels, and is overweight
or obese. Exercise helps in burning those extra fats in the body.
Drug Treatment of cholesterol
Drug treatment must be accompanied by the lifestyle changes described above. There are many drugs that, in addition to TLC, help lower
cholesterol levels. These include statins, nicotinic acid, bile acid sequestrants, fibric acids, and cholesterol absorption inhibitors. Statins are
safe for most people and are very effective. Nicotinic acid lowers LDL and triglyceride and increases HDL levels. Bile acid sequestrants lower LDL
and can be used along with statins. Fibric acids primarily lower triglyceride and increase HDL levels. Cholesterol absorption inhibiters lower HDL
and can be used along with statins. Before you begin with any drug a prescription from a physician is always recommended. Your physician will help you decide which drug is best suited for you. Else there are chances of attracting other disorders. The need of consultation with a physician
becomes even more important if your are involved with elder care suffering from high cholesterol levels.
For more help concerned with care and treatment of senior citizens with high cholesterol levels you can lo g on to: href="http://www.thecaringspace.com/">www.thecaringspace.com