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Living With Cholesterol Cholesterol is one of the most misunderstood terms in health terminology. Too much phobia is attached when it comes to cholesterol. Your doctor will often tell you to stay away from cholesterol after 50 and resort to low-cholesterol diet.Actually, cholesterol, in its entirety, is not bad at all. But before getting into the merits and demerits of cholesterol for the body, let us understand what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a soft waxy lipid (or fat) that cannot be dissolved in the blood. It is found naturally in the blood stream and body cells. It is important for the production of cell membrane and some hormones. In a way, cholesterol is vital for the normal functioning of body. The major sources of cholesterol include eggs, meat, fish and dairy products.Broadly, the medical experts categorize cholesterol into two classes on the basis of their merits and demerits for the body. The Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is regarded as bad cholesterol for the body. This is the dangerous one in the opinion of the
health
experts. LDL is mainly responsible for blocked arteries, which ultimately
leads to various cardiovascular diseases. The LDL builds up inside
the blood vessel walls in the form of plaques. Plaques restrict blood
flow to the heart and if they burst, it may result into the formation
of clots in the blood stream. The clots can block the small blood vessels
in the heart, thus, leading to a heart attack. And if they block vessels
in the brain, they can cause a stroke.The High Density Lipoprotein
(HDL) cholesterol is regarded as good cholesterol for the body. HDL
is believed to protect the body and reduces the chances of a heart
attack and stroke.A thorough health check-up must be done after every
five years starting from the age 40. However, certain vulnerable categories,
like obese, hereditary patients, smokers etc need a more frequent check-up.Kelvin
is an associate editor to the website http http://www. lipitorcare.com.
The website offers complete information on cholesterol through news
and articles on cholesterol. We also provide vital information about
the numerous Lipitor.
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