How To Lower LDL Cholesterol

LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol. It is the cholesterol responsible for clogging your arteries and causing the coronary problems that give cholesterol a bad name. Here is a look at how you can lower your LDL cholesterol and get your heart health back.

LDL is found naturally throughout the body, and circulates around in your blood. When your blood levels become too high, the LDL starts building up along the walls of the arteries. Much like a pipe can become slowly clogged with debris over time, LDL build-up slows down the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients to the heart and brain where they are needed most.

With time, these deposits can start to harden, creating a condition known as arteriosclerosis. If a clot forms, you are now at an extremely high risk of having a heart attack or a stroke because the blood will not be able to get through. Depending on where the clot is located, you could suffer from paralysis and even death.

According to most doctors, a level of LDL cholesterol under 100 mg/DL is considered “optimal”, meaning that you are at a low risk for a heart attack. However, if you do not have other coronary risks, your actual level may be a little higher without having an increased risk.

If your LDL level is over 160 mg/DL then you are at an increased risk of heart disease. If you have multiple risks of heart attack and stroke because of other lifestyle factors (family history, weight, smoking, etc.) then your actually “safe” zone may be lower than that.

In order to lower your LDL cholesterol, you must increase the activity of the low-density receptors. The two most common ways of doing this is either through a prescription medication, a low cholesterol and fat diet, or a combination of the two.

When you are treating high cholesterol, the goal is to lower both the triglycerides and the LDL cholesterol levels, as well as increase the amount of HDL, or “good” cholesterol, that you have in your body. If you succeed at doing this, you will immediately start seeing heart health benefits.

Even lowering your total cholesterol just 10% can cut down your risk of heart disease by nearly a third. When it comes to LDL cholesterol in particular, your risk decreases approximately 2% every time your LDL cholesterol level decreases 1%. For your HDL cholesterol levels, for every 1% your level increases your risk for heart problems goes down 2-3%.

To lower your LDL cholesterol levels, you will need to follow a regular exercise program. Your doctor may also recommend that you lose weight and follow a specific diet plan.

If these alone are not enough to start bringing your cholesterol levels down, your doctor may prescribe medications. The most commonly used cholesterol-lowering medications for high LDL cholesterol levels are statins. These alter the makeup of cholesterols so that they can be passed harmlessly from the body.

Always follow your doctor’s directions exactly when taking your cholesterol-lowering medications for the best results.

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