Whilst our bodies need a certain amount of cholesterol to make cell membranes, insulate nerves and to produce hormones, too much cholesterol can affect your heart. 2 in 3 adults have higher than recommended cholesterol levels.
High cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) can increase the risk of heart disease & stroke.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is produced naturally
in our liver and other organs. We also absorb cholesterol from eating
foods such as red meat, high fat cheese, butter, eggs and liver.
Whilst our bodies need a certain amount of cholesterol
to make cell membranes, insulate nerves and to produce hormones, too much
cholesterol can affect your heart.
Studies have shown that 2 out of 3 people in the UK have
more cholesterol in their bodies than is recommended*.
Cholesterol is present in the blood attached to special
“carrier” proteins, called lipoproteins – Low Density
Lipoprotein (LDL) and High Density protein ( HDL).
‘Bad’ Cholesterol
LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) is the “bad” cholesterol. LDL-C transports
cholesterol around the body and is associated with the deposition of cholesterol
on artery walls and hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). High
levels of LDL-C in the blood increase the risk of heart disease.
‘Good’ Cholesterol
HDL-C, in contrast, is “good” cholesterol, as it is involved
in transporting cholesterol away from the arteries to the liver, which
then breaks it down and excretes it. High levels of HDL-C in the blood
are good and are associated with a decreased risk of heart disease.
In most clinical trials cereal beta glucans lower the
levels of LDL-C and have little or no effect on levels of HDL-C, although
total cholesterol to HDL-C ratios tend to be beneficially affected. 3,
9
Your
'cholesterol level' is a measurement of the number of millimoles of cholesterol
per litre of blood (mmol/l).
The medical opinion in the UK is that the adult level should
be *.
If you have diabetes or a family history of heart
disease you should get your Cholesterol checked regularly.
* - Second Joint Task Force of European and other Societies
on Coronary Prevention 1998 suggest that healthy total cholesterol level
should be below 5.0 mmol/l and LDL cholesterol level should be below 3.0
mmol/l.
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