​Understanding Cholesterol

September is National Cholesterol Awareness month and we wanted to make sure that you are keeping your heart healthy by keeping your cholesterol levels healthy. By doing so you are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease or stroke. Let’s first ask ourselves what is cholesterol? Well it is a waxy like substance that is made in the liver and has actually a very important role to play in the body. It is a component of every cell membrane and it acts as a raw ingredient for our stress and sex hormones, notably testosterone and oestrogen.

But cholesterol can also slowly build up in our arteries, a process referred to as ‘atherosclerosis’, .This in turn blocks the flow of flow of blood to vital organs such as the brain and heart. It also increases the chances of developing a blot clot in other places in the body. Doctors often provide you with different types of cholesterol, a ratio and or your total cholesterol. It is a multitude of factors which put us at risk of heart disease and not simply just one measurement.

In the blood stream, cholesterol is found in two forms:

LDL: Low density lipoprotein and

HDL: High density lipoprotein

When LDL levels are high, we are at a higher risk of atherosclerosis which is why LDL is termed as the ‘bad cholesterol’ .However on the other hand, HDL is linked to a lower risk of atherosclerosis and hence better referred to as ‘good cholesterol’. Simply put, in general if your cholesterol level is high, having a good knowledge of the relative proportions of good to bad cholesterol in the blood stream is important. The ideal ratio of HDL to LDL being 2:1

High cholesterol on its own does not necessarily cause symptoms and a lot of those affected are actually unaware. Cholesterol is also referred to as the silent killer. Predisposing factors include a family history of cholesterol, age, ethnicity, gender, a poor diet and lifestyle and medical history.

According to the NICE guidelines (UK): total cholesterol should be 5 mmol/L or less. However statistics show that two thirds of British have higher cholesterol levels than this. LDL levels should be 3mmol/L or less.

Keep up with our blogs to next find out how to naturally reduce your cholesterol levels

References :

Heart UK.(2016) Available at: https://heartuk.org.uk/ [Accessed on 29.08.2016]

Murray,M. and Pizzorno, J. (2012) .The Encyclopedia of Natural Medecine, 3^rd edition, New York, USA.

NICE guidelines (2016). Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg181 [Accessed on 29.08.2016]