How To Control Cholesterol: What Are The Options To Keep The Heart Healthy?
Are you wondering why so many of us are looking for options about how to control cholesterol? Take a look at the wide-spread prevalence of high cholesterol in the US. The kind of cholesterol burden that this country carries could be the first eye-opener. One in six American adults (approx. 16.3% of the total population) has high cholesterol. Coronary ailments, direct fallouts of high cholesterol levels, are the leading cause of death in the US.
Who should specifically know how to control cholesterol?
Though this article can be a guide to anyone who is keen to know how to reduce cholesterol, it is particularly relevant for people who run the following risk factors :
- Smokers
- Who have high BP (140/90 mmHg or higher), or someone who is currently on BP medicines.
- Those with Low HDL levels (less than 40 mg/dL) definitely ought to know how to control cholesterol.
- Family history of heart diseases that have affected people at an early age.
- Men who are 45 years or older and women who are 55 or older.
- Who lead a sedentary lifestyle
- Who are overweight A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater puts you at risk of high cholesterol — another target group who need to know how to control cholesterol.
Why is it important to know how to control cholesterol?
High cholesterol levels increase the risk of developing coronary heart disease. More precisely, higher the levels of LDL, greater are the risks. The reverse is also true — in the sense that higher HDL levels reduce the risks. Coronary heart diseases happen when plaques form inside the walls of arteries (main conduits that carry blood to the heart), making the passage narrow. This impedes blood flow and subsequently leads to reduced supply of oxygen to the heart. This condition is called atherosclerosis.
With time, these plaques (made from cholesterol, fat and other substances) can rupture, which in turn may lead to formation of blood clots on plaque surfaces. The clot can always become large to block the blood flow completely or partly. This results in angina (chest pain) or heart attack.
Incidentally, plaques could also form in other arteries of the body like those that supply blood to the brain, limbs, etc. This results in carotid heart disease, stroke, etc, the consequences of which could be fatal.
Reduction of cholesterol can prevent or even stop the formation of plaques in the arteries as well as prevent rupture.
How to control cholesterol: getting started
The first step is to know the levels of different types of cholesterol in the body. You have to make sure what the cholesterol goals ought to be before you know how to control cholesterol.
The only accurate way to find out the cholesterol levels (HDL, LDL and total) is to get blood drawn for a comprehensive blood test called a lipid profile test. The ideal levels one should aim for are:
- Total cholesterol levels (total cholesterol in blood including LDL and HDL) = below 200 mg/dL
- HDL = below 70 mg/dL
- LDL = below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50 mg/dL for women.
- Triglycerides = below 150 mg/dL.
Management of cholesterol levels: options
The next step is to know the kind of options one has to reduce the levels. The key to keeping the heart healthy is not to reduce the levels but also to continue with the changes one is making, so that the healthy levels can be maintained. The broad options to manage the levels are:
- Medications
- Therapeutic Lifestyle changes TLC): This includes weight management, diet recommendations as well as inclusion of physical exercises. It is worth mentioning that cholesterol reduction is also possible without taking any medication but making only healthier lifestyle choices. Many patients try natural and home remedies to reduce their levels too. How to lower cholesterol naturally with the help of home remedies would be covered later in the article. However, it is best to go by the doctors’ recommendations regarding the most suitable option which would work for you.
How to control cholesterol with the help of prescription medications?
Perhaps the most important point to note about medications that lower cholesterol is that they help only in the management, but they do not cure the condition. This is perhaps the reason why doctors recommend lifestyle changes to go parallel with the medicines prescribed.
Medicines that are normally prescribed for cholesterol management are:
- Statins
- Bile acid sequestrants
- Fibrates
- Ezetimibe
- Niacin
- Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid
- Combination Medicines
The important point is that all medicines may not suit everyone; some lower LDL, some raise HDL, some may do both. Effectiveness varies from person to person There are plenty of risks, complications, side effects and critical drug interactions of these medications that the prescribing physician would inform you before you ingest these drugs.
How to control cholesterol with the help of TLC?
- The TLC diet recommends that less than 7% calories should come from saturated fats (found in meats, dairy products, chocolates, baked goods, etc) and no more than 25 to 35% from all fats including saturated, trans, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. The daily diet should also include 200 mg of dietary cholesterol. Dietary fiber is part of this diet. These are found in whole grain cereals, fruits and legumes. Fruits and vegetables lower cholesterol as they contain plant sterols and stenols.
- Weight loss: losing even 2 to 5 kilograms can help in reducing cholesterol.
- Knowledge about cholesterol reduction is incomplete without realizing the need to do some kind of physical activities on most days of the week for about 30 to 60 minutes. These include taking brisk walks, cycling to work, swimming, etc.
How to control cholesterol the natural way?
While switching over to a healthier lifestyle including quitting smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation, following the TLC diet and doing physical exercises all form part of reducing cholesterol the natural way, many people have found home remedies helpful.
These include daily inclusion of Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Garlic capsules or regular garlic, Grapes or grape juice, Grapefruit, Beans, Carrots and ginger in the diet.
