Is There Good Cholesterol?
We hear a lot about bad cholesterol in our bodies, but did you know there is a good cholesterol as well? High density lipoproteins, which are commonly referred to as HDL, are what carry cholesterol into your body’s’ liver. They are considered to be the good type of cholesterol that your body needs to remove cholesterol from your arteries so that it can be disposed of. It has been shown in studies that they aid in protecting your body from cardiovascular diseases and strokes. These high density lipoproteins vary in size and the largest are considered to be the most helpful because they are solely responsible for carrying the cholesterol so that it can leave the body rather than clog your arteries.
You can have a test done by your doctor in order to determine if you have a good amount of high density lipoproteins present in your body so that you will be best protected against heart disease. There will be a series of tests conducted so that you can have a full lipid chart done. After fasting for at least 12 hours, your physician will be able to best determine your levels of HDL, LDL, cholesterol, and triglycerides. Once these numbers are established they will assess your overall needs when it comes to cholesterol levels.
If your doctor finds that you need to make changes in order to get your HDL levels higher, there are a few things that you can do. These include physical activity and important dietary changes. Your doctor may decide that you are not within your desirable weight range, which could be a major contributing factor in high levels of cholesterol. Exercising and losing weight could be very helpful. This is because burning off some of the bad amounts of cholesterol will allow the good cholesterol to be most effective in disposing of harmful cholesterol. Foods high in saturated and trans fats should be avoided. Replace these types of foods with polyunsaturated fats and fiber instead.
A lipid test is the most accurate way for your doctor to determine if you are at risk due to high levels of LDL, and low amounts of HDL. Causes of dangerously high cholesterol could include heredity, poor diet choices, smoking, being over your ideal weight range, and physical inactivity. It is important to stay under supervision of your doctor to get back into a good range. You should also make it a point to continue to make healthier choices in order to avoid heart disease, stroke, or other heart related problem that may occur in the future.
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