Guide To Good And Bad Cholesterol
Cholesterol have both good and bad, and hence this is why it is so very vital to learn what cholesterol is, and how it affects your health, as well as what you can do to lower it if the needed. There are basically two different types of cholesterol, the LDL and the HDL.
LDL is the bad form of cholesterol, when too much of it found in a person’s blood, it can slowly build up on the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain, and together with other substances it is able to shape plaque in the body, which is a thick, hard deposit that can block these arteries; a circumstance which is known as atherosclerosis.
Then there is HDL is the good form of cholesterol, and this is due to a high level of it seems to protect against heart attacks. A low level of HDL levels in a person’s body will in fact increase the risk of having a heart attack on a human body.
There is also another factor which must be raised in this discussion, and that is in regards to triglyceride, a form of fat that comes from food and it also made in your body. The reason that it is involved in this particular subject matter is because people with high triglycerides often found to have high total cholesterol, high LDL cholesterol and a low HDL cholesterol level.
Good Cholesterol (High Density Lipoprotein)
The cholesterol test you normally take actually measures lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are sorted by their density: the measure of fat versus protein in the combination. High density means that there is more protein ratio compared to fat. High density lipoproteins (HDL) are good cholesterol. They do the necessary work assigned to cholesterol, they help to un-clog your arteries and help flush excess fat from your body.
Bad Cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein)
Low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and triglycerides (a type of fat carried by LDL and VLDL) are the main component of the bad cholesterol. If you have high number of these that they can clog your arteries thus, causing a heart attack or other heart related diseases. The normal level of bad cholesterol is 200mg/dL or less.
Bad and good cholesterol levels vary from person to person. Factors that affect cholesterol levels like being overweight, a diet with too much saturated fat and cholesterol, not enough exercise, heredity and certain medical conditions or medicines. Cholesterol tends to increase with age as well.
How you can Control and Lower Bad Cholesterol
If you have normal levels of good and bad cholesterol all you should to do is ensure that you stay that way and you can do that by taking the following steps: eating healthy and exercising. Eating healthy such as having food items that are low in saturated and trans fat as well as cholesterol.
Also, get in the habit of reading your food labels as they provide all the above mentioned data by law and hence it is easy for you to choose which food items are good and which are damaging for your health.
Some food items that contain high levels of cholesterol are: egg yolks, poultry, meat, shellfish, butter and cheese.
If you already have high levels of the bad cholesterol then the best thing to do is consult your doctor to prescribe you a drug that will help you lower it gradually. There are many cholesterol drugs that are available over the counter and many natural remedies as well. However, it is strongly suggested that you should not self medicate as some of the cholesterol drugs may have serious side effects, which only your doctor can point out as he is familiar with your medical history and conditions.
In general, you can always increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol by watching your food intake, exercising regularly and losing weight. You’ll also need your doctor’s help with the other factors. Don’t worry about having too little cholesterol. That’s un-likely to happen. Concentrate on building enough good cholesterol, less bad cholesterol and the rest will take care of itself.
Take a minute and learn about your good and bad cholesterol levels, watch closely your food intake and that of your family making them aware as well of the importance of staying below the limits of the bad cholesterol. Just a few minutes of self-education can save your life or one of your family member’s.
Author: Cindy Heller
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Physicians beware: Cholesterol counts in kidney disease patients
To understand the health effects of high cholesterol levels, doctors first need to assess malnutrition and inflammation status in their chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).
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Sick Food Movement: Meet the Folks Giving a One-Fingered Salute to Healthier Eating
The owner of the Heart Attack Grill considers himself a leader in the healthy eating rebellion and the development of shameless cholesterol bombs like KFC’s Double Down.
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Bart Simpson’s Voice, Nancy Cartwright, Sued For $260,000 Over Ex-Fiance’s Unfinished Work
Los Angeles, CA, United States (AHN) – Bart Simpson’s voice is being sued by an insurance company over her late fiancés unfinished work. Nancy Cartwright, who lends her voice to the yellow-skinned character from “The Simpsons,” has been hit with a $260,000 lawsuit.
According to the suit obtained by TMZ, the American Safety Casualty Insurance Company alleges that Cartwright’s fiancé, Stephen Brackett, was hired through his construction company to fix up the Off the Vine Restaurant in 2008.
ASCIC issued the insurance policy to Brackett for the work, and Cartwright agreed to cover the insurance company’s costs if anything went wrong.
But Brackett only did a portion of the work and “diverted contract funds” to the Church of Scientology. Both he and Cartwright were members. But when the project was halfway done, he committed suicide and his construction company closed down.
The insurance firm claims it had to shell out $260,000 to complete the project, and that the voice actress refused to cover the expenses as was stated in their contract.
ASCIC is seeking $260,011.49 for the loss plus attorney’s fees and other expenses, RadarOnline.com reports.
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News coverage about a flawed omega-3 study reveals truth about media’s inaccurate health reporting
(NaturalNews) Scientists have conducted numerous studies (http://www.naturalnews.com/omega-3.html) over the past decade showing the remarkable health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids — the kind of “good” fat found in cold water fish like salmon and some plant foods such as walnuts. Recently, Dutch researchers published a study in the New England Journal of Medicine which involved adding a small amount of marine source omega-3s to the diets of heart patients. Instead of actually reporting the details of this study and placing the findings in the context of previous scientific research, the mainstream media went, predictably, for the easy headline. The result? Widespread inaccurate and even downright misleading headlines and sloppy reporting that hinted — and even sometimes declared — the Dutch study was proof omega-3s aren’t so great for the heart after all. For example, Time magazine blared: “Omega-3 May Reduce Heart Risks Less Than Thought”. Another case in point: “Omega-3 Fats No Magic Answer to Heart Problems” declared U.S. News and World Report . The latter article also started off with the highly questionable statement that “Omega-3 fatty acids might not be as potent a weapon against heart disease as some research has shown, a new study suggests.” So what exactly was wrong with this coverage? It distorted the specific facts of a scientific study — which is not only bad journalism but denies the public accurate information about medical research. First of all, the new study does not conclude, nor prove, that “omega-3s may reduce heart risks less than thought”. Instead, it shows only that a low dose of omega-3s failed to offer any additional cardiovascular protection to a very specific group of people — those diagnosed with heart disease who had already suffered from heart attacks and who were all taking an “optimal”, i.e. multi, regimen of all kinds of prescription drugs (for cholesterol, hypertension, and to prevent blood clots). The new study, as the majority of mainstream media failed to even mention, did nothing to refute previously clinically substantiated findings that omega-3s (in high enough doses) overall reduce the risk of second heart attacks as well as the risk of sudden death. In fact, the Dutch researchers behind the new study admitted — if reporters bothered to actually read the research thoroughly — that one obvious explanation for their findings was that the omega-3s simply didn’t do anything to override or change the combined power of all the cardiac drugs the nearly 5,000 heart patients in the study were taking. A similar German study last year came up with the same results. And, just like the Dutch research, the German scientists’ conclusions in no way negate the long-term health protective value of omega-3s for people who are not already heart patients taking multiple drugs. The head researcher of the 2009 German study, Jochen Senges, said in a media statement that while his research team could not find any additional benefits of omega-3s within a year after patients were placed on multiple heart drugs “…it would be incorrect to say that omega-3 fatty acids are not effective.” So what did the new Dutch research actually show? The scientists added low doses of omega-3s to four different kinds of margarines and gave them to heart patients every day for more than three years. At the end of this period, the low dose omega-3s from fish oils hadn’t added any heart protection to the patients who, as stated earlier, were all taking a variety of Big Pharma prescription meds. In fact, about 14 percent of the heart attack patients had experienced another major cardiovascular event, and some had died. Women in the study who consumed low dose fish derived omega-3s added to ALA (alpha-linolenic acid, the plant-form of omega-3s) were almost one third less likely to develop more cardiac complications. However, this was deemed to be not quite enough of an impact to be statistically significant. Bottom line: the Dutch study showed low doses of omega-3s don’t do anything to help people who already have heart disease and have had myocardial infarctions and who also take a variety of drugs. But the research does not negate the host of previous studies that have found cardioprotective benefits at higher doses. And it certainly does not mean — as the spurious U.S. News and World Report headline implied — that all the well documented studies showing omega-3s do have important cardiovascular benefits were somehow just an attempt at “magic”. For a detailed analysis of what the growing body of scientific research has revealed about omega-3s and heart health, check out a study just published in the journal Thrombosis and Haemostasis that has received virtually no media attention. Among the conclusions of a team of Italian scientists from the University of Milan: omega-3 fatty acids reduce overall mortality and mortality due to heart attacks and sudden death in patients with congestive heart disease; fish oil rich in omega-3s reduces heart rate, a major risk factor for sudden death; and consuming adequate omega-3s leads to a 10 to 33 percent net decrease in triglyceride levels. For more information: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1003603 http://www.schattauer.de/en/magazine/subject-areas/journals-a-z/thrombosis-and-haemostasis/contents/archive/issue/special/manuscript/13498.html
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Crestor suppressed human cancer cells transplanted to mice
A drug commonly prescribed for people with high cholesterol may also be effective in treating prostate cancer, according to new research by Dr. Xiao-Yan Wen at St. Michael’s Hospital.
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Discovery Of Gene For High Cholesterol In Animal Blood Offers Hope For Reducing Risk In Humans
Scientists at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research (SFBR) in San Antonio have found a gene that causes high levels of bad cholesterol to accumulate in the blood as a result of a high-cholesterol diet. Researchers studied a strain of laboratory opossums developed at SFBR that has normal blood levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol when fed a standard low-cholesterol diet, but extremely elevated levels of LDL cholesterol when fed a high-cholesterol diet…
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Community & Southern Bank Takes Over Three Georgia Banks
Carrollton, GA, United States (AHN) – Community & Southern Bank based in Carrollton, Georgia has acquired the banking operations including all deposits of three separate financial institutions in the state following their closures.
The Bank of Ellijay in Ellijay, First Commerce Community Bank in Douglasville, and The Peoples Bank in Winder were seized by Georgia Department of Banking and Finance.
The latest three bank sseizures bring the total number of failures to 123 for the nation and 14 for Georgia. The last bank closed in the state was Northwest Bank & Trust in Acworth last July 31.
The Community & Southern Bank purchased and assumed the three banks from Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) to protect the depositors who are automatically transferred to the new bank and will continue to be insured by FDIC.
Over the weekend, depositors can access their money by writing checks or using ATM or debit cards. Loan customers should continue to make their payments as usual, FDIC said in a statement.
Customers should continue to use their former branches until they receive notice from Community & Southern Bank that it has completed systems changes to allow other branches to process their accounts as well.
Affected parties can call FDIC toll free at 1-800-930-1849 for Bank of Ellijay; 1-800-234-9027 for First Commerce Community Bank customers; and 1-800-357-7599 for The Peoples Bank.
The hotline numbers are operational on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. EDT; on Sunday from noon until 6:00 p.m. EDT; and thereafter from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EDT.
All branches of the three closed banks will reopen as branches of Community & Southern Bank under normal business hours including those with Saturday hours.
There is no need for customers to change their banking relationship to retain their deposit insurance coverage, FDIC said.
The Peoples Bank has 14 branches in the state while there are two branches each for Bank of Ellijay (including its division Bank of Canton) and First Commerce Community Bank.
As of June 30, The Peoples Bank had total assets of $447.2 million and total deposits of $398.2 million. The First Commerce Community Bank had total assets of $248.2 million and total deposits of $242.8 million. The Bank of Ellijay had total assets of $168.8 million and total deposits of $160.7 million.
Community & Southern Bank will pay FDIC a premium of 1.25 percent to acquire all deposits of The Peoples Bank. It will also pay FDIC a premium of 1.0 percent to acquire all deposits of Bank of Ellijay and First Commerce Community Bank.
Besides assuming all deposits, Community & Southern Bank will also purchase virtually all the failed banks’ assets.
The FDIC and Community & Southern Bank entered into a loss-share transaction on approximately $602.5 million assets of the failed institutions. They will share in the losses on asset pools covered under the agreement.
The loss-share transaction is projected to maximize returns on assets covered by keeping them in private sector and is expected to minimize disruptions for loan customers.
The FDIC estimated the cost to the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) of $98.9 million for The Peoples Bank; $71.4 million for First Commerce Community Bank; and $55.2 million for Bank of Ellijay.
The Community & Southern Bank’s acquisition of all deposits of three banks was the least costly option for DIF compared to alternatives, FDIC said.
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High Cholesterol Worldwide
In times past only the very wealthy had to worry about high cholesterol. This of course being modern times, we have created a new kind of dilemma, as not only the rich suffer from elevated risk of heart attack and cardio vascular disease, we are being hit on all sides, and all wealth brackets. High cholesterol worldwide is definitely a problem that is plaguing societies. The specific target of this problem is not necessarily rural countries with little to no food, we’re talking about the wealthy, developed nations that have access to fatty foods at a low cost, but high risk of increasing weight. Combine bad diet with lack of exercise and treatment and you have a global meltdown of fast food and fast death.
In populated countries, developed and created to have excess on all sides, we see more and more people coming down with high cholesterol. This is due in large part to the fact that fast food and cheap fatty foods are readily available. Convenience really trumps diet in regards to developed nations. The main way to elevate your cholesterol seems to be easy and often the hardest thing to avoid, fatty foods. Fatty foods invade our bodies on a daily basis, and it is a matter of convenience and taste. Those things make life worth living for many Americans and others abroad, creating a disastrous result if prolonged use is not cut back or eliminated. Much like smoking damages the lungs, fatty foods damage the liver, cardio vascular system, and create a society of obese people, all with heart disease and unhealthy lifestyles.
If we are to blame the food we eat, we also need to swing the pendulum at another risk factor; work. Working conditions found in more developed nations usually involve long periods of time sitting down. Whether you’re speaking of computer work, or simply talking about sewing machines or assembly lines for products, millions of workers today sit at a desk or a table and work eight to ten hours a day with little to no exercise. This sort of rudimentary job really places a strain on the waist line and attention to diet is definitely not adhered. In favor of time management, whatever is convenient is eaten and exercise is taken away due to exhaustion at the end of shifts. While it is possible to take breaks from work, or to exercise during off hours, millions of people are not “up to” the task of doing so and it is seen as cumbersome, regardless of the health benefits of exercising and eating right in a combination of lifestyle choice.
There are definitely new trends that are fighting this revelation in developed nations. From the U.K government program called “Better Backs” to the NBA, NFL, and MLB forming more advertising space to promote playing, running, and being active for at least sixty minutes a day. While that’s not exactly a drastic change, it’s starting to get people thinking about moving around a little more, to help cope with the diets that are leaving many civilized nations fat and tired.
Kinds of Cholesterol – HDL
Not all cholesterol is created equal. Does this seem like a strange statement? While it may seem
strange, it is true. Not all types of cholesterol are the same. Your body creates some cholesterol;
you add some to your body by the foods you eat. Also, medical experts consider some cholesterol
bad while they think that you also have good cholesterol. What, good cholesterol? With all the
negative publicity we hear each day about cholesterol, how can you believe that any form of this
substance is good?
To understand how expert can call one cholesterol good, you must first understand the role of
cholesterol in the body. Since the body naturally produces this substance, it makes sense the body
needs this substance to survive. Cholesterol’s main role in the body is to preserve and build cell
wall membranes. Cholesterol also aids in digesting fat soluble vitamins and is important in
producing hormones.
So, as you see, cholesterol is a substance the body needs for it to be healthy. Cholesterol becomes
bad when there is a surplus of it in our systems either because our body produces too much of the
substance or when we take in too much cholesterol though the foods we eat. This excess
cholesterol can build up in the blood vessels, clogging arteries and causing heart disease and
heart attack.
This is the point where doctors begin to distinguish between good and bad cholesterol. Medical
researchers refer to good cholesterol as high density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol, while they
term bad cholesterol as low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol. You can also call HDL
cholesterol good cholesterol, because the medical practitioners believe that your bodily processes
work to transport this cholesterol out of the body. This is good because it does not stick around to
plug up your arteries. Meanwhile, it is LDL cholesterol that builds up in the arteries and causes
heart disease.
Therefore, if you want to avoid heart disease, your goal should be to raise your good cholesterol
levels and lower the bad cholesterol levels. What, then, is the ideal good cholesterol level?
Doctors want your good cholesterol to be above 50 mg/DL. Any reading between 35 and 50
mg/DL they consider acceptable while they look at those below 35 mg/DL to be too low.
Now, what can you do if you find your good cholesterol level is too low? What are the best ways
to raise it? Here are a few things to try. First, lose some weight. If you are overweight, this
change can drastically help improve cholesterol levels. Join a weight loss program to help you
reduce your weight. Exercise can also help to raise your HDL level. If you smoke, quitting can
also help to raise levels of good cholesterol.
As you can see, all cholesterol is indeed not created equal. By increasing your good cholesterol,
you can cut your risk of heart disease and stroke. Several lifestyle changes, such as losing weight
and giving up smoking, can help improve your levels of this good cholesterol.
Author: Julia Carmichael
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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