![]() Exercise also helps relax blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Increase HDL ("good") cholesterol levels and decrease LDL ("bad") cholesterol by getting regular aerobic exercise.Yes, there are ways to manage high cholesterol levels, including the following: Symptoms usually occur with exertion and go away with rest.Īre There Ways to Manage High Cholesterol Levels? Angina is a common symptom of coronary artery disease. This causes blood to suddenly clot and block an artery in the heart or brain.īlockages that prevent sufficient blood flow in the coronary arteries can lead to a form of chest pain called angina. These devastating events happen when a cholesterol plaque ruptures. Are High Cholesterol Levels Dangerous?Ī high cholesterol level can be a risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Also, when you eat more calories than you burn, your triglyceride levels may soar. So can simple carbohydrates and food that are high in sugar. Foods that are high in trans fats and saturated fats can raise triglyceride levels. Just as with HDL and LDL cholesterol, your body makes triglycerides and also gets them from foods you eat. Triglycerides are another form of fat in the blood. Discuss with your doctor what the best numbers to monitor for you are. That's because the total cholesterol number is considered a better tool for guiding the doctor in planning the best patient care and helping patients understand their health risks. However, the AHA suggests that doctors use LDLcholesterol with patients rather than cholesterol ratio. For example, if your total cholesterol number is 200 and your good cholesterol is 50, your total cholesterol ratio is 4:1.Ĭholesterol ratio may be used as a monitoring tool by some health care specialists. To find your cholesterol ratio, you divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL, or good, cholesterol number. What Is Cholesterol Ratio and What Should Yours Be? However, if it's high because your LDL cholesterol level is high, it's important to talk with your doctor about your health. If it's high because of a high HDL number, your health is not necessarily in danger. ![]() Your total cholesterol will be more than the sum of the HDL and LDL numbers.Įither a high HDL number or a high LDL number can make your total cholesterol number high. When your cholesterol is checked, you get a number for total cholesterol, one for the HDL level, and one for the LDL level. If a plaque becomes unstable, a blood clot can form, suddenly blocking an artery. It's also known as hardening of the arteries. ![]() This hardening is called atherosclerosis. The buildup is called plaque, and the formation of plaque can cause arteries to harden and narrow. When the level of LDL cholesterol goes up, excess cholesterol can build up and stick to the walls of your arteries. The higher the level of LDL cholesterol, the greater your risk of a heart attack. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, is the bad cholesterol. In doing so, it cleanses cholesterol from the bloodstream. The benefit of HDL lies in the fact that it carries bad cholesterol back to the liver. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is the good cholesterol. How Do Good and Bad Cholesterol Affect the Body? By lowering your level of LDL cholesterol and increasing the level of HDL cholesterol, you can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Then, by making simple lifestyle changes such as eating a heart-healthy diet, exercising regularly, and taking cholesterol medications such as statins, if necessary, you can work your way toward that ratio. ![]() How do you know what that ratio is? Once you know your cholesterol numbers, you can work with your doctor to find the ideal cholesterol ratio for you. To help avoid these problems, you need to maintain the proper ratio between good and total cholesterol. But too much LDL - or "bad" - cholesterol and not enough HDL - or "good" - cholesterol may lead to heart disease and stroke. It's true we need cholesterol to maintain good health. You've probably heard your doctor talk about good and bad cholesterol. ![]()
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