High cholesterol is a serious health risk that can increase your chances of negative outcomes, including early death. But many people know little about cholesterol and how to keep it in check.
Dr. Saka Kazeem and the team at Elk Medical in New York City are here with up-to-date guidance on how you can manage your cholesterol and support a healthy heart.
Today, we discuss how cholesterol works in the body and how to maintain safe levels.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the body that plays a role in the manufacture of hormones, vitamins, and cells. Your liver produces all the cholesterol your body needs.
However, you take in additional cholesterol through various food sources. That can leave you with excess cholesterol in your bloodstream. Over time, that sticky cholesterol can combine with other substances and adhere to the walls of your arteries.
That narrows the arteries, making it harder for your heart to move blood throughout your system. Cholesterol can also trap blood clots in your arteries, increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
There are two types of cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) causes clogged arteries, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) helps clear excess cholesterol from your blood vessels. Learning your cholesterol levels requires only a simple blood test.
Here are five ways that managing your cholesterol helps keep your heart healthy.
When cholesterol deposits stick to the walls of your arteries, blood cannot flow through at a normal rate. That means your heart has to work harder to meet your body’s circulation needs, which can strain the heart muscle.
The cells and organs in your body rely on a steady flow of blood to deliver the oxygen and nutrients needed to thrive. Reducing your cholesterol can stop buildup in your arteries.
Boosting your HDL helps reverse some of the buildup caused by excessive LDL. HDL circulates in your blood, sweeping up LDL and delivering it to your liver, which breaks down the LDL cholesterol so that your system can eliminate it.
The best way to increase your HDL is through lifestyle changes, such as improving your diet and staying active. Too much HDL can increase your risk of a heart attack, which is why lifestyle changes are often better than medication when you’re looking to boost your HDL.
If you have high cholesterol, one of the first things Dr. Kazeem is likely to focus on is your diet. The foods you eat directly impact not just your cholesterol, but your health in general.
Cutting back on saturated fats in red meat, deep-fried foods, and full-fat dairy products is a great way to start. Also, avoid highly processed foods, especially baked and convenience foods.
Increasing your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, such as those in salmon and nuts, and fiber can help.
When you improve your diet, you reap rewards in almost every area of health and wellness, not just your cholesterol levels.
Another way to manage cholesterol is through frequent physical activity. An active lifestyle helps your body eliminate excess cholesterol and keeps your arteries flowing more freely.
Being active offers an array of additional benefits. You may have an easier time managing your weight, and you might enjoy improved sleep quality. Physical activity can also help reduce stress and enhance mental and emotional health.
Lifestyle changes are always part of managing high cholesterol. But if your levels are dangerously high, or you’ve lived with high cholesterol for some time, medication can bring down your readings to healthier levels relatively quickly.
Dr. Kazeem works with you to find the right path forward. Over time, he monitors your progress and can adjust your drug therapy as needed.
At Elk Medical in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, we can determine your current cholesterol levels with a blood test and create a customized treatment plan. Call us or schedule your appointment online today.
