In order for the heart to work smoothly, in addition to an active lifestyle, avoiding bad habits and the ability to cope with stress, it is also necessary to adhere to a diet and control cholesterol levels. You need to do this from a young age, even if there are no he alth problems. In the article we will tell you in detail why cholesterol is dangerous when its norm is exceeded, and how to deal with it.
What is this?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is formed in the liver. Bile acids are formed from it, with the help of which the absorption of fats in the small intestine is carried out. Without this component, there can be no normal functioning of the adrenal glands, the synthesis of sex hormones.
Cholesterol is also considered the main building material of the cell membrane. It is an insulator of nerve fibers, and also produces vitamin D from sunlight so that it is absorbed.human body.
Why do we need cholesterol?
The component performs several important functions:
- The human body, like any organism, consists of cells. Cholesterol present in membranes makes them strong, permeable.
- Without it, the nervous system cannot function, since this component is present in the sheath of nerve fibers.
- The component is part of the bile, which is required for digestion.
- Without a substance, the hormonal system cannot work normally. With its participation, the synthesis of adrenal hormones occurs.
- Even the immune system cannot function without cholesterol.
Attention danger
But when the level of this component is increased, it has negative properties. Why is high cholesterol dangerous? The negative properties of exceeding the norm include the following consequences:
- There is a narrowing of the lumen of the vessels, as deposits accumulate on their walls. This leads to clogged arteries.
- Because damage occurs to the arteries that carry blood to the heart, there is a risk of coronary disease.
- When blood and oxygen are not supplied to the heart muscles due to a blood clot, myocardial infarction occurs.
- With blockage of blood vessels, the risk of atherosclerosis and angina pectoris increases.
- A stroke is likely due to impaired blood supply to the brain.
What is the danger of cholesterol in women? The negative effect of exceeding the norm y will be the same as that ofthe rest. There is no difference in this.
That's why a large amount of cholesterol in our body is dangerous. Only an attentive attitude to he alth will not allow the body to reach such states.
Signs
If you listen to your body, you can prevent many unpleasant consequences. It is important to know not only what dangerous high cholesterol is, but also what are its signs. Symptoms include signs of atherosclerosis, which develops due to the deposition of atherosclerotic plaques on the walls of blood vessels. You can determine the high level of this substance by:
- Angina, which occurs when the coronary arteries of the heart narrow.
- Pain that appears in the legs due to physical activity, due to the narrowing of the arteries that are responsible for the blood supply.
- Blood clot and damage (rupture) of blood vessels.
- Rupture of atherosclerotic plaques, in which coronary thrombosis appears. And because of it, heart failure develops.
- The presence of yellow spots on the skin, which are called xanthomas. They are usually seen near the eyes.
Reasons
Every person should remember that high blood cholesterol is dangerous. Then this state can be avoided.
You still need to know about the reasons. Often this phenomenon occurs due to lifestyle. The main reason is malnutrition. There are many foods high in cholesterol that do not affect blood levels. They have good cholesterol - HDL.
Foods rich in saturated fats are dangerous. This applies to flour products, fatty meat and cheese, chocolate, mayonnaise, chips, fast food. It is because of them that bad cholesterol, LDL, accumulates. Therefore, it is important to eliminate these foods from your diet.
Leads to disease and a sedentary lifestyle. Many people have a sedentary lifestyle, as well as inactive work. This leads to overweight, which is the basis for high cholesterol. Another reason lies in alcohol and tobacco.
Predisposing factors include heredity, gender (in men, the disease appears more often), as well as age - the older a person becomes, the greater the risk of detecting high cholesterol.
Norma
If you are interested in the dangers of cholesterol, you probably want to know what is its normal amount. The norm is at least 200 mg / dl. The optimal mark is 5 mmol / l. Exceeding this indicator just leads to negative consequences.
An increased level of this component occurs in children, men are not immune from it and is even present in women's blood. What is dangerous cholesterol for both sexes, consider below.
Only first it should be noted that the norm indicator may differ depending on:
- gender;
- age;
- blood pressure;
- smoking.
For example, for men with normal blood pressure who did not smoke, a cholesterol level of 5.8 mmol / l can lead to premature death. And for a young woman who smokes,which the pressure is increased, the content of 7.1 millimoles will not be dangerous. For an elderly woman, 6.9 mmol/L is dangerous.
It is believed that the reason for everything is female sex hormones, which are more in youth. They quickly oxidize cholesterol, preventing atherosclerosis.
Medication treatment
It is necessary to know not only about the dangers of cholesterol, but also how to lower its level. To do this, doctors prescribe drug therapy:
- Statins are in demand (for example, Atorvastatin). With them, its production in the liver decreases. The advantage of statins is that they inhibit the growth of plaques that have appeared.
- Drugs with nicotinic acid can lower cholesterol. Thanks to them, the production of cholesterol by the liver decreases, and fatty acids will not be absorbed into the blood from subcutaneous fat. The disadvantage of nicotinic acid is that large doses are needed to obtain the desired effect, and this leads to negative consequences in the form of pain in the head and stomach, a feeling of heat. Nicotinic acid should not be taken with a diseased liver.
- Bile acid sequestrants are used. The drugs reduce bile acids, which are metabolic products of fats and cholesterol. But such drugs have a negative effect on digestion, leading to flatulence and constipation.
- The last group of drugs includes fibrates. With them, the synthesis of fats is reduced. Side effects include harm to the liver, the appearance of gallstones.
Folkmedicine
Cholesterol can be lowered with folk remedies. Garlic will help with this. It is believed that the regular use of two cloves a day will keep the blood at the desired level of this substance. An effective tincture of hawthorn, which can be bought or prepared by yourself.
There are other recipes, for example, including ginger. But it is necessary to be treated with folk remedies after the approval of the doctor. Such drugs lower the level of the substance, but can also be harmful, as they have their own contraindications.
Food
When cholesterol is above the norm, it is necessary to remove foods rich in saturated fats from the menu. It will be useful to use:
- seafood;
- greenery;
- vegetables, red fruits;
- legumes;
- vegetable oils.
Lifestyle
Age-appropriate and he alth-appropriate exercise will benefit the body, as it positively affects the metabolism, preventing the appearance of excess weight. It is necessary to give up smoking and alcohol in large quantities, as appetite increases with it, and excess weight appears with overeating.
Thus, cholesterol should be kept in the normal range for every person. If its concentration is exceeded, effective normalization measures must be used. Then it will be possible to avoid many he alth problems.
