Coronary heart disease is characterized by atherosclerosis, which is the clogging and narrowing of the arteries. The heart is then deprived of oxygen, has trouble pumping blood and may mutate. Think of it like what an exertion injury can do to other muscles in your body; causing hardening and scar tissue over time. If your doctor tells you that you have high cholesterol levels or elevated triglycerides, then these are your first clues of metabolic failure. At this point, you will still have a chance of turning your life around before it's too late!
Most people with coronary heart disease don't realize they have it until it's too late, even though basic medical tests can reveal telltale signs like elevated triglycerides and high cholesterol levels. Some people may experience "angina pectoris," which is the medical term for discomfort, heaviness, aching, burning, numbness or pain in the chest, left shoulder, arms, back or jaw. Often this pain will feel similar to indigestion but won't occur around meal times. Depending on what kind of angina you're suffering from, the pain may come after exertion (stable angina), when sleeping and while out in the cold (prinzmetal's angina) or sometimes even just suddenly while resting (unstable angina). Shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, nausea and sweating often accompany the angina symptoms.
No matter what level of coronary heart disease you're suffering from, lifestyle and diet changes are essential. All other treatments are merely complementary. In some cases, you may be prescribed medications to lower high blood pressure, oxygenate blood, slow the heartbeat down and open up restrictive blood vessels. In severe cases, balloon angioplasty surgery, stent placement or coronary bypass are needed. Health experts are looking into new treatments like transmyocardial laser revascularization (TMR), which utilizes laser beams to blast through the channels in your heart muscle, freeing up blood flow. Angiogenesis provides substances through the vein or directly into the heart, where the transporters have failed. Enhanced external counterpulsation can stimulate the opening of blood vessels in a very non-invasive way.
While some people are born genetically susceptible to coronary heart disease, the overwhelming majority of us become victimized by our imbalanced eating habits, our 50 hour work weeks, our poor sleep quality, our lack of exercise, our smoking, our drinking and our stress. There comes a point where we need to realize that work could be the end-all of existence if we don't better organize our priorities. On a positive note, more and more Americans are looking for healthier ways of living, judging by the number of self-help books flying off the shelves. There may not be an easy answer for lowering cholesterol or bypassing atherosclerosis, but with a positive attitude and a little bit of hard work, we can live a long, healthy life.
As we become older there are critical numbers that start to weigh heavily upon us. We have to concern ourselves about our blood pressure, weight and our cholesterol level. Things we may have ignored our entire lives now all of a sudden have great importance. But these are some of the thing that should not have been forgotten. A lifetime of misuse on the body returns merely damaging things when left unrestrained.
Your cholesterol level is absolutely critical if you wish to continue in good health and your body functioning the right way. High levels can lead to heart attacks and stroke, both of these things you do not want to have to contend with. Being concerned when it comes to your cholesterol level is not simply for the aging. It is something both younger people as well as older people must worry as well as be cognisant of if they hope to to lead a healthy lifestyle. In this article we will cover the fundamental principles of cholesterol and hopefully you will understand how important a healthy level is to your body as well as peace of mind.
What is bad cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol is bad. All cholesterol is carried by lipoproteins but the low-density lipoproteins moves in the blood stream and allows the cholesterol to begin to accumulate. If there is too much LDL then the cholesterol begins building up on the walls of the arteries. It begins to form plaque which makes the arteries hard and not as flexible. When clots form and block the artery a heart attack or stroke can occur.
What happens when cholesterol gets too high?
Well when LDL gets too high then the cholesterol begins to accumulate on the artery walls and then hardens into plaque. The build up continues until the entire artery is blocked off. This added blockage makes it hard for blood to get to the heart where it can be pumped to the rest of the body. It can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
When HDL levels are high this is a good thing because researchers believe that HDL helps rid the body of cholesterol build-up. That is why a diet rich in foods that promote HDL is always heavily recommended.
In what way is the obstruction from the arteries withdrawn?
The initial stage is through medicines but if there is a serious constricting or closure in the artery or blood vessel then a slightly more intrusive procedure is needed. The actual functions might vary however one frequent method is done through the use of a balloon angioplasty. The mechanical device is entered into the artery and navigated to the closure where the plaque build up has occurred. The balloon is then inflated to clear the passage. Nowadays the procedure is minimally intrusive and most patients are able to going home that day.
What is the normal range for a healthy cholesterol level?
The American Heart Association has guidelines established for what is considered a healthy range of cholesterol levels. A total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL is considered to be a desirable level since it puts you at a lower risk of having heart disease. Here is the trick though. It is not just about total cholesterol. Your HDL levels should be over 60 mg/dL and your LDL should be lower than 100 mg/dL. Mg/dL means it is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood.
For a great deal more informational value go to this online destination: Lower Cholesterol Levels and more information at High Cholesterol Levels as well as Low Cholesterol Diet Tips
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