Your Age and Your Cholesterol
High cholesterol is a growing problem among Americans. With fast paced lifestyles and less than healthy diets, it is no surprise. Here is a look at how your age and your cholesterol are related.
What is cholesterol? Simply put, it is a waxy solution that is found in the bloodstream. It is produced by the body, as it is needed for certain bodily functions. The rest of the cholesterol that we have comes from the foods that we eat – such as meat and dairy products. In the average person, about 85% of the total cholesterol that they have is made by the body, and the other 15% comes from what you eat.
Over time, cholesterol starts to build up in your body. This starts from the time you are an infant, and builds up the older you get. However, other factors can affect it. For instance, overweight and obese children will usually have a higher level than children of the same age that are at a healthy eight. And their cholesterol levels continue to rise throughout their lifetime.
By the time you reach middle age and are in your 40s and 50s, this gradual increase of cholesterol starts to become a problem. Of the people in their 40s and 50s who suffer from heart attacks and strokes often have the underlying cause of high cholesterol. Experts are starting to look at the link between age and cholesterol, and studies are showing that the older you are, the more concerning high levels of cholesterol are in regards to your health.
For instance, while high cholesterol in your 20s and 30s is concerning, because you could be setting yourself up for health problems later in life, once you are in your 50s you are much more likely to have heart disease caused by high cholesterol than someone who has normal levels of cholesterol. This also increases your risk of having nervous system and other arterial problems as well.
In order to reduce your risk of having cholesterol-related health problems, you need to start watching your cholesterol sooner rather than later. For parents, this means starting your children out on a regular exercise routine that keeps them healthy, as well as teaching them good eating habits. However, it is never too late to start working on your high cholesterol problem. Putting yourself on an exercise routine, eating low cholesterol and cholesterol lowering foods, and making regular trips to your doctor to have your cholesterol levels monitored can help you get your cholesterol levels back to normal.
You are never too young to start doing things to prevent high cholesterol, nor are you too old to do something to rectify the problem. If you have been diagnosed with a high cholesterol problem, talk to your doctor about a healthy diet and exercise plan that can help remedy the situation. If your cholesterol levels are in the high risk category, then you may also need to consider a medication to help. Regular checkups to make sure that your levels are going down is also a must.
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