A Good Diet To Lower Triglycerides With Alchol
Fitness Program For High Cholesterol
Lowering High Cholesterol
Diet To Help Lower Triglycerides
Normal Cholesterol Levels Hdl
Cholesterol
HDL LDL
total cholesterol levels
Some people require certain medications, such as Lipitor, Zocor, and Vytorin, to aid in bringing down their cholesterol levels. Food rich in complex carbohydrates also provides many essential vitamins and minerals. HDL helps to remove the blockage, where it is passed to your liver and then out of your body; for this reason, you want to increase your HDL levels and decrease your LDL levels in order to prevent blockages in your arteries so that your organs can get the precious blood they need. Ultimately they are dispelled through the digestive tract. Meats to avoid in a high cholesterol diet are those products defined as fatty meats, including highly processed meat (frankfurters, sausage, bologna), red meat (ribs and steak), and bacon. Lowering cholesterol is not difficult but it does require a little effort.
high triglycerides a sign of insulin resistance
There are also some other ways to combat high levels of cholesterol or to just maintain the right level for you. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the fats in your bloodstream and in all of your cells. A cholesterol drug is designed for two reasons: to lower the cholesterol level and to keep it under control. For these people, the reason for their high cholesterol levels might be due to a defect in their liver enzymes, in this case medication may be the only option for reducing cholesterol. There are always things that you can and cannot help. There are many cholesterol medicines available on the market, but you should not indulge in any medications without your doctors advice.
There are a few different names for cholesterol tests such as total cholesterol, lipid tests, lipoprotein test or lipid profile. These tests all do essentially the same thing, which is measure the amount of cholesterol or triglycerides in serums (blood).
Preparing For And Taking A Cholesterol Test
It is advisable to fast for nine to twelve hours before you go to the lab for a cholesterol test. Only water should be ingested during the fasting period because any other substances can possibly affect the test results. For adults, no other preparation is necessary. For infants and children requiring testing, explaining the steps of blood collection will help relieve some anxiety, but infants may still need to be restrained.
A sample of blood is needed to perform a total cholesterol test. For a quick simple test a lancet is used to prick a finger and a small amount of blood is applied to a test strip, slide or other small container. The results for this type of test can take mere minutes.
A more detailed cholesterol test requires more blood so the sample must extracted from a vein using a needle and collected in an airtight vial or syringe. It can take several days to get the results from this type of test.
Total Cholesterol Level Test Results
The results of a cholesterol test will help your doctor decide what treatments, if any, are necessary to reduce your risks of heart disease and stroke. Normal levels of total cholesterol are less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl), while 200-239 mg/dl is considered borderline high and any reading 240 mg/dl or higher is considered high.
Cholesterol test results, other than total cholesterol, will give you the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides.
Doctors Orders
Depending on the results of your cholesterol test your doctor may first prescribe that a new diet that is low in fat and cholesterol. Increasing the amount and frequency of regular exercise can also help lower your total cholesterol number. As always, smoking cessation is advised not only to control cholesterol levels but also to improve your health in general.
But if these lifestyle changes do not bring your total cholesterol levels into a normal range, prescription medications may be necessary. These drugs, known as statins, come in a variety of brand names. Your doctor has many choices and will advise you about potential side effects of any he may prescribe.
To truly get your cholesterol numbers under control and reduce your risks of premature heart attack or stroke you must watch your diet, exercise regularly and take your medicines as directed.