| Anyone who has turned on the news, read a | | | | out for. When the levels of this form of |
| newspaper or visited a doctor's office in recent | | | | cholesterol are too high, chances are this form of |
| years likely knows that cholesterol can be a | | | | fat is or will soon begin to stick itself to the walls |
| major problem for the body. Attaining and | | | | of the arteries. When combined with plaque, this |
| maintaining lower cholesterol levels can prevent a | | | | type of cholesterol can become a killer by leading |
| whole host of conditions that can cut lives short. | | | | to hardening of the arteries, which of course |
| It's all fine and well to tell people they need to | | | | leads to heart attack and stroke. |
| lower cholesterol, but if they don't know what the | | | | HDL or high-density lipoprotein is known as the |
| buzz is all about, the words likely won't lead to | | | | "good" cholesterol. This type of cholesterol actually |
| action. So, lets take a good look at cholesterol, its | | | | protects the body from heart attacks and |
| dangers and how people can go about getting | | | | strokes. It is believed that HDL cholesterol carries |
| their cholesterol in check. | | | | the bad LDL to the liver where it can be |
| Cholesterol itself is a fatty substance that is found | | | | successfully purged from the body. This number |
| naturally in the blood and all of the body's individual | | | | is only a problem when it is too low. |
| cells. Its function is to help the body produce cell | | | | Another factor that goes into total cholesterol |
| membranes, create some hormones and even to | | | | counts is the triglyceride level. This form of fat is |
| go about its normal, everyday business correctly. | | | | produced in the body itself. When this is too high, |
| Unfortunately, too much of a good thing is a bad | | | | the risk for heart disease and stroke is generally |
| thing in this case. When cholesterol levels are too | | | | elevated, as well. |
| high, the chances for heart disease, heart attack | | | | Striving to lower cholesterol by changing dietary |
| and stroke are greatly increased. | | | | habits, increasing exercise and even taking some |
| Doctors can tell if a person needs to lower | | | | medications that can help control the body's own |
| cholesterol levels by performing a simple blood | | | | fat production can help prevent heart disease and |
| test. This test reveals the levels of several types | | | | stroke. While cholesterol levels alone are not the |
| of cholesterol found in the body. If some types | | | | only factor that goes into the formation of heart |
| of cholesterol are too high and others are too | | | | disease, artery clogging and other undesirable |
| low, changes likely will need to be made to help a | | | | conditions, removing this risk can greatly improve |
| person avoid heart disease, heart attack and | | | | a person's overall health outlook. |
| even stroke. While these changes alone cannot | | | | When lower cholesterol levels are attained and |
| guarantee problems will be totally avoided, they | | | | maintained, the entire body tends to benefit. Since |
| can very much help. | | | | diet and exercise likely will come into play, the |
| There are several kinds of cholesterol found in | | | | offshoot of this measure can be fantastic not |
| the body. The LDL or low-density lipoprotein, also | | | | only for cholesterol test results, but also overall |
| known as bad cholesterol, is the kind to watch | | | | health. |