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September is Cholesterol Awareness Month. Here are two articles that will teach you about your lipids -- which include HDL, (the good cholesterol), LDL, (the bad cholesterol) and triglycerides. Your lipids are usually checked by your primary care physician. But if not, my office will be glad to check them. (Some managed care plans only cover this if ordered by your PCP.) Dr. Rehert
This first article is everything you need to know about your lipids:
SUNDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthScoutNews) -- If the risk of heart disease isn't enough to convince you to check your cholesterol levels, here's another incentive: September is Cholesterol Awareness Month, so now's the time to learn your cholesterol count.
"High cholesterol is a major risk for atherosclerosis and stroke," says Dr. Roger Blumenthal, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. "But you can significantly reduce cholesterol by a combination of improving your lifestyle and appropriate use of medication."
Cholesterol is not always a bad thing. A waxy substance produced by the liver, it insulates the nerves, makes cell membranes and produces certain hormones. However, the body produces enough for its own needs. If, through a combination of poor diet or a genetic predisposition, you produce more cholesterol than needed, the excess stays in the blood, forming plaque that lines the arteries. Eventually, the arteries harden and put you at risk for heart disease.
So, you should first find out what your cholesterol levels are through a blood test at a doctor's office. There are two types: LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.
LDL is often called the "bad" cholesterol because it stays in the blood, forming the plaque that lines the arteries. Eventually it hardens the artery walls, making them thicker and less flexible so that blood flow to the heart is restricted, which can cause heart attacks.
"Optimally, your LDL level should be less than 100 milligrams per deciliter of blood," Blumenthal says.
HDL is known as the "good" cholesterol because high levels are associated with less heart attack risk, and Blumenthal says a count above 40 milligrams per deciliter is considered healthy.
Also important is your level of triglycerides, which are fats present in the blood that are associated with the risk of heart disease. Blumenthal says they should not be higher than a count of 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood.
Ironically, many people try to avoid fat in their foods, and wind up omitting healthier fats from their diets. "Olive oil, canola oil, fatty fish and peanuts, for instance, are good fats that reduce cholesterol," Diekman says.
Exercise is equally important in reducing cholesterol, and Diekman recommends her clients try for 30 to 40 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week -- "walking, jogging, biking, dancing, whatever they like to do."
If your cholesterol is still too high after lifestyle changes, then it's time to look at medications, Blumenthal says. "Diet and exercise are the cornerstones of cholesterol management, but medication can be helpful," he says.
A group of drugs called statins, which decrease the production of cholesterol in the liver, are the most common treatment for high cholesterol, Blumenthal says. They reduce the risk of subsequent heart attacks in people who have already had one, and are equally helpful for people who have never had a heart attack but who are at risk for one, he adds.
Below is an article about the influence of vitamins on your lipids.
Vitamins C, E May Prevent Artery Damage
Wed Sep 11,11:56 AM ET
Wed Sep 11,11:56 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Both vitamins C and E, taken alone, may prevent a type of oxidative damage tied to cardiovascular disease. In a study of 184 non-smoking adults, investigators found that taking either vitamin C or E reduced the oxidation of blood fats called lipids. Oxidation is a normal chemical reaction in the body, but the process can also damage cells.
A number of studies have suggested that antioxidant vitamins like C and E may help ward off oxidative damage--and that these two vitamins may enhance each others' protective powers. But much of this research has been in the lab rather than in people. So the researchers, led by Dr. Han-Yao Huang of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, looked at how vitamins C and E, alone or together, affected lipid oxidation in middle-aged and older adults.
Over 2 months, participants followed one of four daily regimens: 500 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C alone; 400 international units (IU) of vitamin E alone; both vitamins together; or placebo (inactive) pills.
The researchers found that both vitamins C and E lowered urine levels of a particular substance that is a byproduct of lipid oxidation--a substance that has been found to be elevated in cigarette smokers and people with diabetes and high cholesterol.
They also note that the daily vitamin C dose used in this study is attainable through diet, while the vitamin E dose is "virtually impossible" to come by through food alone. Food sources of vitamin E include wheat germ, nuts and vegetable oils. Citrus fruits, strawberries, tomatoes and broccoli are among the top sources of vitamin C.
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002;76:549-555.
Vitamins are important. But they shouldn't be a substitute for proper diet and exercise.
Dr. Rehert
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