by Christine G.

Created on: April 22, 2008   Last Updated: August 05, 2008

Every time we turn on the TV, we will see advertisements for cholesterol-lowering medication. What is the excitement all about?

Monitoring blood cholesterol is a major strategy for preventing heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral arterial disease. Cholesterol is a fat which is produced by the liver as well as ingested in food. Genetic factors are involved, so some people naturally have higher cholesterol than others.

If cholesterol plaque is deposited in the arteries, it continues to build up, slowing down blood flow or cutting it off completely. Once symptoms such as chest pain, painful walking, a pulsating bulge behind your knee, weakness, dizziness or numbness occur, diagnostic testing is required to measure the severity of the blockage, and surgery may be needed. We all know someone who has had vital blood flow restored by an angioplasty, a stent or a bypass. This miraculous medical technology is a great gift, but prevention is even better.

If you are having regular medical check-ups, you are probably getting the diagnostic tests you need to detect elevated cholesterol. Your lab work order will specify "LP" or "lipid profile", which requires a blood sample. If your readings are within normal levels, your doctor is unlikely to mention them

Cholesterol and other fats are transported in the bloodstream by lipoproteins. The two most important ones are low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which carries most of the blood cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which carries one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol. A high level of LDL reflects an increased risk of heart disease, earning it the label of "bad" cholesterol. HDL carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver to be processed, and is known as "good" cholesterol. A high level of HDL seems to be just as important as low LDL in decreasing the risk of heart attack.

Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood. According to the Mayo Clinic website, the targets are below 200mg/dL total cholesterol, below 100 mg/dL LDL, and over 60 mg/dL HDL. There is another measuring system as well, expressed in minimoles per litre. 100mg/dL is equal to 2.6 mmol/L.

If you have high cholesterol, the earlier you intervene, the better. The basic treatment is three-pronged: diet, exercise, and cholesterol-lowering medication.

The ideal heart-friendly regime is not an extreme low-fat diet, but a diet containing moderate amounts of "friendly fats" such as olive

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>