HIGH CHOLESTEROL MEDICATION MAY PROVE HELPFUL

There is an increasing range of high cholesterol medication available, with a class of drugs called statins considered to be the most effective and widely used high cholesterol medication on the market.

Research evidence has shown that statins can reduce the risk for heart attack, stroke, and death for those who are considered to be at high risk of a heart attack or stroke.

High cholesterol medication is not the only answer, however, for those with elevated cholesterol levels. Lifestyle changes can also have a dramatic effect, and doctors may therefore recommend that patients try a program of diet and exercise for at least 3 months before prescribing medicines.

However, for some people, the use of medicines is considered a high priority. This would include those who already have coronary artery disease (CAD), those who have a family history of early CAD, those who have inherited forms of high cholesterol, and those who have peripheral arterial disease or diabetes or who have had a previous heart attack or stroke.

Doctors will often follow NCEP and American Heart Association guidelines in making a decision about whether you should take drugs to lower your cholesterol. These guidelines are based on both your LDL level, and your risk for CAD.

Those less likely to be immediately prescribed drugs would include men younger than 35, and women who have not reached menopause. It is worth bearing in mind that while statins can be effective for some people, they do have some serious side effects, which can be quite severe when higher doses are prescribed.

However, one thing that is clear is that anyone with elevated cholesterol levels can benefit from eating a balanced low-fat diet, getting regular exercise, and reducing other known risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking.

The biggest factor for reducing your risk from elevated cholesterol levels is to modify your diet. What we eat has a profound impact on our body chemistry, and therefore how the body functions, and this is nowhere more evident than with cholesterol.

Cholesterol itself is not a bad thing - it is in fact is a key building block in the structure of cells, and is also involved in making hormones and producing energy. It is produced in the liver, and distributed through the body in the blood, carried by fatty cells called lipoproteins. There are two types:

High-density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as good cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol

The reason we call them good and bad is that HDL has a useful function, reducing cholesterol by taking excess amounts back to the liver. It thus helps to protect against arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) by removing excess cholesterol.

When people refer to high cholesterol levels they are therefore usually talking about high levels of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) - what is crucial is the ratio of LDL to HDL, because if your levels of HDL are too low, your body can't remove excess cholesterol.

So what affects this?

Diet: Saturated fat stimulates the excessive production of cholesterol. Fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, help to increase the production of HDL, which can remove the excess. Soluble fiber is also important, as it can mop up excess cholesterol.

Exercise: Exercise increases levels of HDL and reduces levels of LDL.

Smoking: Smoking reduces HDL levels.

Overweight/Obesity: If you are overweight or obese, it reduces output of HDL and increases levels of LDL.

Excessive Alcohol: Alcohol is another contributor to low HDL levels.

By changing your lifestyle, you can dramatically alter the ratio of HDL to LDL, thus improving your overall cholesterol profile.