Good And Bad Cholesterol

What Is ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ Cholesterol ?

It is important to know if your cholesterol is not too high. It is especially important to keep your ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) under control. This reduces the chance of cardiovascular disease. You can have your blood tests tested by your doctor. It is important to know how the ratio LDL (the ‘bad’ cholesterol) and HDL (the ‘good’ cholesterol) is. Therefore always ask for both values in the results.

high cholesterol and xanthelasma plaques

LDL And HDL Cholesterol And Xanthelasma

Cholesterol, a fatty substance that is mainly produced by the liver itself, is in the form of LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. The LDL, also called the ‘bad’ cholesterol, can accumulate on the inside of the blood vessels and possibly lead to cardiovascular problems.

HDL cholesterol, the ‘good’ cholesterol, ensures that the cholesterol is brought back to the liver from the body so that it is broken down. Sufficient HDL, therefore, prevents too high a cholesterol level.

Why Is LDL-cholesterol Harmful?

LDL distributes cholesterol in different parts of the body. The body needs cholesterol to build up specific body cells, hormones, and digestion. But excess cholesterol is harmful. Excess cholesterol can enter to collect the vessel walls. As a result, blood vessels can narrow and eventually become close.

Your blood flows less well, causing blood clots to form and close the vessels. Stroke or heart attack is then lurking.

How Does High Cholesterol Develop?

Elevated cholesterol can be caused by poor eating habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking, overweight or hereditary predisposition.

There are various forms of genetic disorders such as familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and familial hyperlipidemia (FCH). The cholesterol levels can be considerably increased at a young age.

Furthermore, a too slow thyroid gland, diabetes and some kidney and liver diseases can raise cholesterol levels. Finally, there are also various medicines, such as blood pressure lowering drugs and water tablets, which can increase cholesterol levels.

Treatment For Cholesterol Deposits Around Eyelids

Measuring Cholesterol Levels

The cholesterol level can be measured with blood tests. It is of great importance that the ratio between LDL and HDL is measured. The total cholesterol level is measured and indicated in mmol / l. In the diagram below you can see what the blood values mean: It is essential to estimate the total cholesterol level soberly. The ideal HDL: LDL ratio is 1: 4 (LDL is no more than four times as high as HDL).

Decrease Cholesterol

With a well-varied diet, you can lower your cholesterol by 10% to 15%. Eat mainly vegetables, fruit, potatoes, and whole meal products. Choose low-fat dairy products, low-fat cheese, lean meat or fish. Eat low saturated fats because they increase the cholesterol content. (Saturated fat is mainly in cream, butter, whole milk products, full-fat cheese, fat meat, biscuits, and snacks). Unsaturated fats are better for your cholesterol. Diet margarine and vegetable oil such as olive oil contain unsaturated fats.

Be careful with salt. Use herbs to flavor the food Ensure good body weight. Overweight increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, just like smoking. By reducing obesity and stopping smoking, the risk of this decreases sharply. (Smoking damages the walls of the blood vessels, allowing LDL cholesterol to penetrate the vessel wall, making the clogging faster).

More physical exercise has a positive effect. Three times a week half an hour of sports, the cholesterol lowers extra. As a result of sufficient training, more ‘good’ cholesterol is produced, which reduces the ‘bad’ cholesterol.

Mediterranean Food

People who eat the Mediterranean have more ‘good’ cholesterol in their blood than people who eat in the West. Mediterranean nutrition leads to higher HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol). Frequent use of olive oil, the eating of different types of fruit and vegetables, grain products, legumes, nuts, and fish characterize the Mediterranean diet. Meat is not on the menu that often.

A glass of red wine a day completes the diet. People around the Mediterranean have less ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) in their blood. Mediterranean food also ensures that the level of ‘good’ cholesterol (HDL) rises. Nutritionists say that Mediterranean food is the healthiest diet.

Medication For Cholesterol And Thus Xanthomas

” Cholesterol-lowering drugs are usually only recommended with a strongly elevated cholesterol level (cholesterol of 8 or higher). Often in people with an increased risk, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Since medication always gives side effects, it is often recommended to first treat the cholesterol with diet and lifestyle.”

Cholesterol Self-test

It is possible to calculate the risk factor for cardiovascular disease yourself. These cholesterol tests are available on request or in the store. Note that in addition to total cholesterol, you can also measure the value of HDL cholesterol. Using these values, it is easy to determine the total / HDL cholesterol ratio. This value is a reliable indicator for assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Xanthelasma And Normal Cholesterol

Xanthelasma and high cholesterol go hand in hand. But do be aware, sometime people with normal cholesterol levels can be affected by the skin condition. The irregularities in the LDL profile can still manifest due to induced problems with medication etc or which is the case for a lot of people, it is a result of being in the family DNA structure. Whatever direction you have taken to end up with Xanthelasma, lets the doctors take care of your cholesterol tests and Xanthel is used for removing the external aspects of your Xanthelasma or Xanthoma.