Cholesterol receives a great deal of bad press, and for this reason, it is misunderstood. Misinformation and misconceptions about cholesterol can be as dangerous as the truly detrimental aspects of cholesterol such as the risk of heart attack, for instance; this is why it is important to understand exactly what cholesterol is and how it functions in the human body.
By replacing inaccurate information with empirically substantiated facts, we can make better health decisions. This, in turn, will improve individual health, as well as prevent excessive spending on treatment for cholesterol-related medical ailments. A consideration of recent scientific literature can help us learn more about cholesterol.
Cholesterol is actually a nutrient that can be found in every cell of the human body. The body extracts cholesterol from the foods that we eat through complex chemical processes that break down sugars, but it also manufactures additional cholesterol. In terms of its physical structure and properties, cholesterol is waxy and is water-insoluble Cholesterol is comprised of five or six carbon atoms. While the popular media often refer to cholesterol as an overarching concept, and one that is overwhelmingly negative, there are actually two kinds of cholesterol. High density lipoproteins (HDLs) are the so-called good cholesterol, while low density lipoproteins (LDLs) are the bad cholesterol with which everyone should be concerned.
The density to which cholesterol refers is the degree to which proteins are concentrated in the lipid that constitutes cholesterol. High density lipoproteins, as their name suggests, have a higher concentration of protein than the low density lipoproteins. HDLs also contain micronutrients, some of which are water-soluble and, as such, are released into the bloodstream and carried to cells for nourishment. Because LDLs lack those micronutrients, however, and because they are comprised solely of fatty, waxy, insoluble components, they can easily cause build-up in the arteries. This build-up can cause blockages, and becomes particularly hazardous to one’s health when other substances adhere to its sticky surface, causing heart disease and other illnesses, including chronic hypertension.
Because the human body is a system of organs, interconnected by veins and arteries, cholesterol can affect most of the body’s areas of functioning. The liver, for instance, is the organ which is primarily responsible for taking in, processing, and re-distributing lipoproteins to the rest of the body via the bloodstream. If HDLs are in good proportion to LDLs, the HDLs can carry cholesterol away from the arteries, where it poses such dangers, and deposit it in the liver, where it can be processed and expelled from the body. However, if too muchLDLcholesterol builds up, the liver’s ability to process the cholesterol becomes compromised. Similarly, arterial blockages, if unidentified and untreated, can prevent circulation of blood and oxygen to both the brain and the heart, creating the conditions that lead to strokes and heart attacks. For these reasons, cholesterol has been the subject of many studies and news reports, as public health officials and medical providers try to inform the public about the relative benefits and risks of cholesterol.
How does one know whether he or she is at risk for any of the negative medical outcomes caused by LDLs? Researchers and medical providers have devised a measurement system that sets standards for cholesterol levels, yet the figures presented by the American Heart Association and those presented by some clinical researchers differ substantially. According to the American Heart Association, anLDLreading of less than 100 mg/dL is ideal; however, the averageLDLamong Americans is under 130 mg/DL. An LDL reading is considered to be high if it exceeds 160 mg/dL or if it exceeds 130 mg/dL and two or more additional risk factors are present. Some clinical researchers, by contrast, have defined an LDL profile of less than 200 mg/dL to be ideal, 200 to 240 mg/dL to present moderate health risks, and 240 mg/dL and above to present serious health risks.
The negative potentialities ofLDLcholesterol are compounded by other risk factors, including smoking, obesity, lack of physical exercise, high levels of stress, and the presence of co-morbid disorders. For example, diabetes, lung disease, and high blood pressure all have their own compromising effects on the body’s major organs and systems. In addition to the health risks already mentioned, high concentrations ofLDLcholesterol in the body have been linked to a number of other physical and social problems. Among children and adolescents, for example, highLDLcholesterol was linked with lower academic functioning and lower IQs at a level that was statistically significant when compared with children and adolescents with lowerLDLcholesterol levels. Similarly, research on cholesterol’s effects within elderly populations has demonstrated that cholesterol may play a role in memory deficits. Many researchers who study cholesterol, however, point out that it is important not to generalize the results of existing studies until further research has been conducted. They indicate that while high levels ofLDLhave been linked to a number of health problems, including cardiovascular disease,HDLandLDLlevels have not yet proven to be wholly accurate predictors of future disease.
Whereas high LDLs have been causally associated with negative health outcomes, recent research has demonstrated that average or highHDLlevels might be responsible for some positive health benefits.HDLcholesterol may be at least partially responsible for improved lung performance, for example. One study explained thatHDLcan play a positive role in immune functions because it binds to bacterial toxins, thereby relieving inflammation which can damage lung tissue. Clearly, a great deal of research is needed to continue shedding light on the various advantages and disadvantages of the two cholesterols.
Until more research is conducted to expand our current knowledge about cholesterol, the American Heart Association offers a set of recommendations for taking the information that we do have and applying it for the purpose of safeguarding our health. First, it is helpful to know what yourHDL/LDLbaseline is, and for this reason, an annual physical exam should include a total cholesterol test. Based on the results, you will need to consult with your doctor about preventive or corrective strategies for controlling cholesterol. General guidelines include: eating foods that are low in saturated fat, exercising regularly, and reducing or eliminating other risk factors. In certain cases, usually only for people with elevatedLDLcholesterol levels, medicine may be introduced to bring theLDLcholesterol levels down to a more acceptable rate. Cholesterol-lowering medications are really only considered an ancillary treatment, though; lifestyle changes are the most important alterations that a person can make to control cholesterol levels.
The benefits of avoiding the problems related to highLDLcholesterol levels are clear on an individual level. If you reduce yourLDLlevels, you reduce your risk for a wide range of medical problems, most of which are serious, and even life-threatening. There are other advantages of lowering your cholesterol or preventing it from escalating. Society at large benefits. When individuals are healthier, less money is spent on expensive health care interventions that might have been avoided altogether by preventive measures. Research and treatment money and attention can then be diverted to other illnesses which have no clear etiology or the origins of which do not appear to be wholly within human control. Becoming educated about the facts ofHDLandLDLcholesterols is an important step towards taking control of one’s physical health, and with the amount of research that is available today, there is no reason to be uninformed about this nutrient that has both positive and negative effects.
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References
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2. American Heart Association. Cholesterol. < http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=1516 Accessed 2007 Feb. 1
3. Pejic, RN, Jamieson, B. Which lipoprotein measurements are clinically useful? American Family Physician 2007; 75; 387-388.
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