Lowering cholesterol is vital to health. Cholesterol is a vital fatty substance that is part of the membrane lining of animal tissue. Cholesterol is found in humans in the blood stream. Cholesterol enters the blood via ordinary liver production as well as through diet. The cholesterol in food is absorbed through the intestines and then travels into the bloodstream. Too much cholesterol in the bloodstream can have serious negative health consequences.

Lowering cholesterol in the bloodstream is vital to heart health. High cholesterol has been linked to increased risks of heart attacks and strokes. Lowering cholesterol can improved heart function, as cholesterol can lead to blockages in the arteries, as well as narrow arteries which restricts their function.

There is “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is considered the good type of cholesterol while LDL cholesterol is considered the bad type of cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is what has been shown to cause plaque on the inside of the walls of the arteries, which decreases the blood’s ability to flow through the passageways the arteries create. This typically requires the heart to work harder in order to pump a sufficient amount of blood through the body. This wall that narrows the arteries leads to a syndrome known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis has been proven to cause coronary heart disease.

HDL cholesterol works against the LDL cholesterol by removing the cholesterol plaque proteins from inside the arteries and leaving them with the liver, which not only can produce cholesterol but can also eliminate cholesterol from the body. Ideally an individual wants to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.

Lowering LDL cholesterol has numerous health advantages, including reducing or eliminating the buildup of plaque on the artery walls, decreasing the risk of stroke, decreasing the risk of heart attacks, reducing the existing plaque along the artery walls, reducing the risk of a rupture of plaque which can lead to a blood clot and stroke, and widening the arteries.

Heredity and diet both play a factor in cholesterol levels. Often parents with high cholesterol can pass on the likelihood of high cholesterol to their children, although healthy eating habits is the fastest way to combat this. Saturated fats, which contribute to high cholesterol significantly, are found mostly in meat and dairy products as well as some oils, nuts, coconut, and cocoa.

When lowering cholesterol, eating plenty of natural fruits and vegetables and developing a diet that is lower in saturated fats is not only likely to help narrow arteries widen but is likely to help wider waistlines narrow.

Diet and exercise are always recommended when cholesterol levels are too high. Diet helps by contributing less saturated fats and cholesterol laden foods into the body while exercise helps to increase heart health, blood flow, and liver function.

However, sometime diet and exercise are not sufficient in lowering the bad cholesterol levels in the body fast enough. There are now medications available to help with this.

Some cholesterol medication work with the liver to help lower the bad cholesterol levels in the body and others don’t. Statins are the drugs that are known to lower bad cholesterol levels. Most statins block the liver from producing bad cholesterol. Statins are most commonly used for individuals with a family history of heart attacks at a young age, increased levels of bad cholesterol, advancing age, and people with diabetes. Statins are not a replacement for healthy lifestyle changes and dietary reduction of cholesterol. Rather, they are supportive therapy to help reduce high cholesterol in those who may not be able to control it with dietary restrictions. Not all statins are equally as effective as lowering cholesterol, and thus it is vital for physicians to stay on top of cholesterol research. Since high cholesterol is a common health issue, researchers are moving faster to try to find new ways of lowering it.

Since high cholesterol generally presents without symptoms for an extended period of time, it is vital that cholesterol levels are checked regularly. Detecting high cholesterol levels before health problems arise is the most effective ways to keep a patient healthy. Most physicians recommend having cholesterol checked annually. Rising cholesterol levels combined with a family history if heart attacks and stroke typically indicate a case that requires lowering the cholesterol.