If you’ve had your heart checked recently, your doctor must have briefed you what causes high cholesterol levels. A big number of heart problems stem from high cholesterol levels, and so your doctor must have given you some understanding about cholesterol and how it affects your heart health.
Most likely you are aware that there is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol protects the heart by transporting the excess bad cholesterol to the liver where it undergoes processing and eventually leaves the body. In a way, the good cholesterol prevents the bad cholesterol from mixing with fibrin and other particles to form plaque that clogs the arteries. When you have the good cholesterol in high numbers, you are likely to be far from a range of heart problems.
And so the issue here is not about the good cholesterol increasing, but the bad cholesterol in levels beyond 160 mg/dL. Didn’t your doctor tell you what causes high cholesterol levels? Well, a number of factors do come into play, just like:
1. Familial predisposition. High cholesterol can run in the family. If you happen to have parents or grandparents with high cholesterol levels, have your blood tested for cholesterol, as well. You can’t say that just because you’re still young, you won’t have to worry about cholesterol and heart disease yet because if it is in your blood, you can inherit the problem sooner or later. So be on the know, find out as much as you can about diseases running in your blood and take the necessary steps immediately.
2. Diabetes. Diabetes increases triglyceride levels. High cholesterol is often expected of individuals afflicted with diabetes. Diabetes is usually hereditary, even though some people do not manifest signs and symptoms until much later in life. Needless to say, when you are diagnosed to have diabetes, have your blood checked for cholesterol, too.
3. Diet. Feasting on all things fried is going to get your bad cholesterol in dangerous levels. You’ve been hearing so many people telling you to get on a healthy diet. But what exactly is a healthy diet, one that is good for heart health, one that gets your bad cholesterol down and your good cholesterol up? You would need Omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants obviously, and taking these in consideration, the ideal diet for people with high cholesterol levels should include vegetables and preferably eating them in their raw form, fish, citrus fruits, and nuts.
4. Inactivity. Being a couch potato day in and day out can adversely affect cholesterol levels. Get some exercise, then, to get your metabolism working. The better your metabolism is, the more fats are burned, and that keeps you out of heart trouble while helping you lose weight at the same time.
5. Smoking. Haven’t you heard? Smoking one stick of cigarette shortens your life by 3 minutes. Smoking actually suffocates your cells and hampers cellular activity, so quitting the habit for good is really good for you, even better if heart disease runs in the family.
So, regardless of what causes high cholesterol levels, changing your diet and going for a healthier lifestyle can mean a lot.
Click here to know more about what causes high cholesterol levels.
