How Much Do You Know About Cholesterol?
Posted January 8, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Cholesterol. It’s a not-so-long word with major health consequences.
But do you really know what it means and what your own reading is? If you answered no to either one of those questions, you’re not alone. According to a new study, most people over the age of 40 have no idea either. And that could be killing them.
The survey, from two Canadian hospitals, shows while most people are aware of what the substance is, the vast majority has no idea what the idea level is, whether it’s LDL or HDL that’s considered the “good” kind and just what ‘s in their bodies.
Eight in ten admit they have no clue that high cholesterol levels is one of the leading causes of heart disease, the number one killer worldwide; three in ten don’t know how to manage it; and 73 per cent don’t know what constitutes a healthy level.
“Although Canadians had some awareness of cholesterol, they didn’t really understand how important LDL cholesterol levels are,” said Dr. Ruth McPherson of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. For the record, a cholesterol total of 5.2 or less is ideal, with a number higher than 6.2 putting you in problem zone.
“Of those Canadians diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, the vast majority were not managing their cholesterol levels with diet and exercise,” McPherson adds.
Explained simply, bad cholesterol acts like plaque in your arteries, narrowing the conduits for blood flow and restricting their elasticity, increasing the risk of heart attack or stroke.
So just what should you do if you’re worried about the problem but don’t exactly know what you should do about it? Here’s a cholesterol test that can measure your knowledge. Click on the number to see the answer.
1) What exactly is cholesterol and what does it do for you?
2) Which kinds of foods have the highest amount?
3) O.K., of HDL and LDL, which is the good kind and which is the bad?
4) What are the main causes of high cholesterol?
Answers
1) It’s a wax-like substance produced by your liver and found in many foods. It helps builds cell walls, makes Vitamin D, and creates the bile salt that lets you digest fat. But your body produces more than enough of it, and when you add to the amount through food, your system has trouble getting rid of it. Over time, that can build up in your arteries and create plaque and blockages.
2) Almost anything made from animal products, like meat and dairy items including cheese, milk and ice cream. Junk foods made from palm kernel and coconut oil are bad, too. Grains, fruits and vegetables have almost none.
3) LDL (short for low-density lipoproteins) is the bad kind of cholesterol, likely to clog your arteries. HDL (high-density lipoproteins) is the good kind, carrying the substance back to your liver for processing and elimination.
4) There are several, including being overweight; heredity (if it runs in the family or close relatives suffered from heart disease); your diet (you are what you eat and if you eat meals high in fat and animal products, your risk rises); your age (the older you get, the higher the risk); and how much exercise you get (working out increases the good kind of cholesterol making it less likely you’ll develop heart disease.)
The main indicators:
- Male and over 40 years of age;
- Female and over 50 years of age and/or post-menopausal;
- Have heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure;
- Have a waist measurement greater than 102 cm (40 inches) for men or 88 cm (35 inches) for women;
- Smoke or have only recently stopped smoking;
- Have a family history of heart disease or stroke.
5) It’s easy – a simple blood test taken from your arm will do it. Your doctor will tell you what it means once the results are in.
For more on controlling and detecting cholesterol, click here.
