What Should You Do if Your Doctor Says You Have High Cholesterol?Your Doctors Says You Have High Cholesterol Now Whatby: News Canada What Should Your Cholesterol Level Be? Your doctor will determine your "target" cholesterol levels by considering your medical history and existing risk factors for heart disease. Existing risk factors include high cholesterol, smoking, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, diabetes, being overweight, being a man over the age of 40 or a woman over the age of 50. Once your target cholesterol level has been established, your doctor will work with you to design the most effective plan for reaching this level. This may include making lifestyle changes and sometimes medication. Lowering your cholesterol level will reduce your risk of developing heart disease, the #1 killer of Canadians. What You Can Do To Reduce Your Cholesterol? Quit Smoking Many studies have shown that cigarette smoking is a major cause of heart disease. In fact, smokers have been shown to have higher levels of LDL-cholesterol and lower levels of HDL-cholesterol than non-smokers. Smoking has also been shown to increase the development of atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries), as well as increasing heart rate and blood pressure. Exercise Regularly Physical activity has been found to increase HDL-cholesterol. Regular exercise helps control body weight and other risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Exercise also improves circulation of blood in the body, strengthens the heart and other muscles, as well as increases your sense of well-being. Make Dietary Changes The key to managing cholesterol levels in your diet is portion control. Foods high in fat such as oils and desserts can increase cholesterol more than anything else, so limiting your fat and cholesterol intake can make a big difference. When Lifestyle Changes Are Not Enough? Sometimes lifestyle changes alone are not enough to reach your target cholesterol levels. Even though you may be eating well and exercising regularly, you may still have elevated cholesterol level. It is important to understand that only 20 per cent of your cholesterol comes from the food you eat and the remaining 80 per cent is manufactured by your liver. If your target cholesterol level is not achieved, you may need the help of medication. Today, the most commonly prescribed medications are statins, which significantly lower LDL-cholesterol and raise HDL-cholesterol. What Is The Benefit Of Lowering Your Cholesterol? Lowering your cholesterol can significantly decrease your chance of developing heart disease. Research has repeatedly shown that a one per cent decrease in cholesterol level can lead to a two-to-three per cent decrease in your risk of heart disease after several years. To find out your "target" LDL-cholesterol level, please contact your physician. If you think you may be at risk for high cholesterol, talk to your doctor about getting tested and what treatment may be right for you. For more information about cholesterol and heart disease, visit www.makingtheconnection.ca or call toll-free 1-877-4LOW-LDL (1-877-456-9535). About The Author News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web. News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial "fill" items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services. Cholesterol Drugs And Natural Alternatives
For several years people have been taking cholesterol drugs as a means to lower high cholesterol levels. The most frequently prescribed class of cholesterol drugs are the statins, also known as lipid lowering medications.However they are known to have some quite serious side effects, such as causing liver function abnormalities. Statins currently available on the US market include :Statins currently available on the U.S. market include, Lipitor (atorvastatin) made by Pfizer, Zocor (simvastatin) made by Merck, Pravachol (pravastatin) made by Bristol-Myers Squibb, Lescol (fluvastatin) made by Novartis, Mevacor (lovastatin) made by Merck, and Crestor (rosuvastatin) made by AstraZeneca. The latest cholesterol drugs that are soon to come on the market, are the CETP inhibitors. These new drugs have a different action as based on the latest scientific discoveries, it is now known that not all cholesterol is unhealthy. There are several types of cholesterol, including LDL bad cholesterol and HDL good cholesterol. The CETP Inhibitors work to also raise the hdl cholesterollevels which have been proven in themselves to aid in lowering levels of the ldl cholesterol. There are however a large number of alternative cholesterol lowering drugs. Natural alternatives that do not pose such a risk, although of course any medication you take you should always check with your doctor first. You can lower cholesterol naturally by taking herbal remedies such as Guggul, Pantethine, Curcumin, Policosanol, and Beta-Sitosterol .These supplements are easily available and low cost compared to prescribed drugs. Of course there are also many lifestyle changes that can be made to lower your cholesterol levels naturally. Regular exercise and eating a diet for lowering cholesterol can also reduce your risk of developing heart disease. As they say, prevention is better than cure. Natural Alternatives To Cholesterol Drugs
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