Health Watch

By Logan Davis

The North Jefferson News



For all of you who didn’t realize, September is “National Hug a Texas Chef Month.”

It’s also “National Piano Month” and “National All-American Breakfast Month.”

September is “National Cholesterol Awareness Month.” Cholesterol is something you may see on commercials or cereal boxes and hear people talking about all of the time. However, many people may not know what they need to know about cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a substance found in the bloodstream and in all of our body’s cells. It is an important part of a healthy body because it helps form the cells in our body and some hormones. However, too much cholesterol can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Cholesterol comes from our bodies and the food that we eat. The common misconception is that everyone with high cholesterol must be eating pizza and cheeseburgers all of the time. This isn’t true because our livers make up about 75 percent of the cholesterol in our bodies and food accounts for the other 25 percent.

There are two main types of cholesterol: Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL).

LDL is the “bad cholesterol” because when levels of LDL get too high our arteries can get clogged and may eventually cause heart attack and stroke. As the level of LDL cholesterol increases, it begins to build up on the inner walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart and brain.

Together with other substances, LDL can cause plaques — thick and hard deposits — to form. These plaques narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. Like I said before, high LDL cholesterol is partly genetic, so some people’s genes simply tell their liver to make more cholesterol. Food that is high in saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol also increases LDL cholesterol.

HDL is the “good cholesterol,” because it carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver. You could almost think of HDL as something that recycles cholesterol so your body doesn’t need to make more.

HDL also removes cholesterol from plaques in the arteries, which slows down the clogging process. You want to keep your LDL cholesterol low and your HDL cholesterol high.

A few ways to remember that is: L for low and H for high, or L for lousy and H for healthy. Triglycerides are another component of cholesterol and high levels of triglycerides also contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries.

The ideal level of LDL cholesterol is less than 100 mg/dl, especially if you already have risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes or have had a prior heart attack or stroke.

The ideal level for HDL cholesterol is above 40 mg/dl and levels above 60 mg/dl are most desirable and can even be protective against heart disease. The desirable level for triglycerides is less than 150 mg/dl.

The first way to lower LDL, raise HDL, and lower triglycerides is to make changes to your diet and increase exercise. Your food choices can have a significant effect on your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, so instead of getting the country fried steak you may want to try the grilled chicken or fish every now and then.

Exercise is one of the best things you can do to raise your HDL cholesterol. If you don’t currently exercise, then start small with a walk around the house or around the block and set attainable goals. A little exercise is much better than no exercise at all.

If changes to your diet and exercise do not help your cholesterol levels enough, there are several medication options may help. Drugs like Lipitor and Zocor slow down the production of LDL cholesterol, raise HDL cholesterol and lower triglycerides.

Zetia decreases the absorption of cholesterol in the food that you eat, lowering LDL cholesterol. Tricor increases the breakdown of LDL cholesterol, lowers the amount of triglycerides in the blood and raises HDL cholesterol.

If you are curious about your cholesterol levels then you may stop by your physician’s office to have a cholesterol screening. Some pharmacies in the area even offer this service.

Logan Davis is a Pharm D candidate at The Pharmacy in Mt. Olive. He can be reached at 631-1201.