Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a complex lipid molecule. Too much cholesterol in the blood may increase the risk of myocardial infarction i.e. heart attack, but a desirable level of cholesterol is essential. An essential compound within the body, cholesterol performs a variety of functions. Cholesterol is not considered to be a nutrient because it can be synthesized by the liver to meet the body’s requirements.

Cholesterol, a vital component of all cell membranes and the internal organs, helps control their permeability. Cholesterol concentrations are particularly found in the liver, adrenal gland, brain and the peripheral nerves. Cholesterol deposits within the skin helps make it resistant.

The fat in our bloodstream cannot move around on its own and attaches itself to protein compounds forming lipoproteins. Cholesterol, as a part of lipoproteins, moves freely in the bloodstream.

Up to 80% of the cholesterol in our body is used for synthesizing cholic acid, which is then converted to bile salts. Cholesterol serves as a precursor for:

• 7-dehydrocholesterol (pro-vitamin D)
• Adrenocortical hormones and the sex hormones like progesterone, estrogen and testosterone

Where does cholesterol come from?

Cholesterol is an indispensable body compound but should not necessarily be a part of a healthy diet plan. The richest dietary sources of cholesterol includes most animal products, including eggs and meat. Dietary intake of cholesterol is the only one of the several factors influencing cholesterol levels. However, some animal products like milk and cheese made from skimmed milk, egg white, and gelatine do not contain cholesterol.

There are two main types of cholesterol: HDL (the good cholesterol) and LDL (the bad cholesterol). Most cholesterol is LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol. This is more likely to clog the blood vessels because it carries the cholesterol away from the liver into the bloodstream, where it forms sediments in the blood vessels. On the other hand, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol carries the bad cholesterol back into the liver where it is broken down.

How do I get high cholesterol (LDL)?

About 70% of the cholesterol in our blood is LDL (bad cholesterol). But, it is essentially used in the healthy maintenance of living cells. However, high levels of cholesterol increase the risk for heart disease.

LDL is the major carrier of bad cholesterol in the blood while HDL is the carrier of good cholesterol while LDL carries the cholesterol from the liver into the arteries, the HDL carries the cholesterol in the blood stream back into the liver, thereby working to remove excess cholesterol in the bloodstream.

LDL is the culprit that is responsible for making cholesterol deposits within the arterial walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick plaque. Over time, this plaque causes the artery walls to thicken and harden. Moreover the artery walls become narrow so that the blood flow to the vital organs is restricted and sometimes halted altogether. This disease process is better known as atherosclerosis.

The main cause of high cholesterol is eating saturated-fat rich foods that contain a lot of cholesterol. Furthermore, we add to our system by following an unhealthy lifestyle or through our genetic make-up which predisposes our bodies to make more cholesterol then required. High cholesterol can also be a result of diseases like disorders of the liver, kidney, diabetes and an under-active thyroid.

How do I know if I have high cholesterol?

High cholesterol is generally difficult to detect because normally there are no obvious symptoms. The best way to know if you have high cholesterol is to have a blood test. This is normally conducted after a 12-hour fasting period. The rule of thumb is that after your 20th birthday, a person should have cholesterol screening every five years. The tests are normally conducted for:

• Total cholesterol levels
• LDL levels
• HDL levels

Guidelines for total cholesterol are:

• Less than 200 mg/dL – desirable
• 200-239 mg/dL – borderline high
• 240 mg/dL or above – high cholesterol

For LDL, the guidelines are:

• Below 70 mg/dL – optimal for people at very high risk of heart disease
• Below 100 mg/dL – optimal for people at risk of heart disease
• 100-129 mg/dL – near optimal
• 130-159 mg/dL – borderline high
• 160-189 mg/dL – high
• 190 mg/dL and above – very high

For HDL, the guidelines are:

• Below 40 mg/dL – poor
• 40-59 mg/dL – better
• 60 mg/dL and above – best

Cholesterol itself is not the cause but once the plaque builds up in the arterial walls, it acts as a cholesterol magnet. Eventually the arteries are blocked or closed off altogether causing heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular disease. The obvious symptoms of high cholesterol are if you:

• Have a family history of cardiovascular diseases, stroke or heart attacks
• Know someone in your family who has suffered from a heart attack before the age of 50
• Are a smoker
• Live an unhealthy lifestyle
• Are obese
• Don’t exercise
• Suffer from diabetes
• Think that you may be at higher risk of heart disease than others

In the UK, the average total cholesterol level in men should be 5.5mmol/l and in women the acceptable healthy limit is 5.6mmol/l. Apart from cholesterol levels, elements and factors regarding individual cases, diet, exercise regimen, health history, family history, etc. must also be taken into consideration.

What happens if I do have high cholesterol?

Blood cholesterol starts to rise as a person gets older – normally beginning around age 20 and rising sharply after the age of 40. As the cholesterol levels begin to rise, extra cholesterol over that which the body needs is deposited in the arterial walls. Lifestyle changes alone can result in a drop in cholesterol levels within a few weeks.

Lowering cholesterol levels primarily reduces a person’s risk of illness or death from heart disease. In case you already have heart disease, then lowering your cholesterol levels will help you live longer.

High LDL (bad) cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease because it narrows out the arteries, restricting blood flow to the vital organs in the body. This process is called atherosclerosis, wherein the arteries become incapable of supplying enough blood and oxygen to the heart muscle during exertion. And as a result there is lack of oxygen (called ischaemia) to the heart muscle which causes chest pain.

There is a greater chance of the plaque breaking away to form a blood clot. This may cause complete blockage of the artery, leading to death of heart muscle (heart attack) in the affected area. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease that if left untreated can lead to heart attack or stroke, and inevitably death in many cases.

HDL cholesterol is also called "good" cholesterol because it removes cholesterol from the blood and in doing so helps clear cholesterol plaque from the arteries.

The risk of disease from high cholesterol increases if other "risk factors" are present. Your susceptibility to atherosclerosis increases if you have:

• High blood pressure
• Smoking
• Family history of early heart disease
• Diabetes

Treatment options:

High cholesterol can be treated using two methods. They are the non-pharmaceutical method where all preventative causes of the condition are controlled. If this does not work, then prescription treatment medications and drugs are put to use.

Non-pharmaceutical methods of treatment include:

• Lifestyle changes like dietary changes and exercise. In doing so, they are required to:
  • Assess and change the diet by cutting out all high cholesterol and fatty foods
  • Manage existent healthy weight or lose weight if obese or overweight
  • Stop smoking
  • Start a regular exercise regime

  Pharmaceutical methods of treatment include:

• Bringing about a change in their eating habits and lifestyle and simultaneously use drugs to treat high cholesterol levels. Four major categories of drugs are used to treat high cholesterol. They are:
  • Bile acid binding resins: These drugs prevent the cholesterol found in bile from being reabsorbed into the gut. The only problem is that these drugs may prevent the absorption of other drugs also, causing vitamin deficiencies.
  • Niacin: A Vitamin B, it can severely reduce the level of LDL cholesterol in the blood if used in high doses. Side affects of this drug includes gastrointestinal disturbances, severe itching and flushing.
  • Fibric acid derivatives: These treatments show a modest drop in LDL cholesterol levels. However, they tend to cause gastrointestinal side effects as well as gallstones.
  • Probucol: An antioxidant, it prevents cholesterol from changing into more harmful chemical forms which prevents it from attacking the blood vessels.
  • Statins: Are a class of drugs that inhibit the HMG-CoA reductase enzyme found in the liver. As a result, the production of cholesterol is reduced. Moreover, statins have been proven to modestly increase the levels of HDL cholesterol and simultaneously lower the LDL cholesterol levels.

Statins help prevent and stabilize conditions related to atherosclerosis such as:

• Angina
• Heart attacks
• Stroke
• Intermittent claudication
• Death

However statins, otherwise a highly tolerable drug, may bring on some side effects. For example:

• One in ten people may experience constipation or diarrhoea, headache, insomnia, or nausea
• One in 1000 people may lose their appetite, experience dizziness, suffer from inflammation of the liver, face a loss of sensation or pain in the nerve endings of the hand and feet or experience rhabdomyolosis (kidney damage)

One of the best and the most potent available statins, Crestor (rosuvastatin), is approved for use in the U.K. Out of the 5 available statins, Crestor gives the best results. It not only lowers cholesterol but also reduces the risk of atherosclerosis in patients.

How do I buy Crestor?

Crestor, a prescription medication that is used to lower cholesterol levels, can be bought online. But, it is available to patients only after they undergo a full free medical consultation with one of our qualified doctors. Being a prescription only drug, it requires a full consultation, diagnosis and treatment plan from an approved medical professional.

It successfully lowers raised LDL cholesterol levels in the blood and helps modestly elevate HDL cholesterol levels at the same time. Moreover, it is now being widely used as a preventative treatment also.

You can click here for your free consultation. At the same time you can find out whether or not you qualify for a prescription.