What's the Big Deal About HDL Cholesterol?During your last visit your doctor noted that your HDL cholesterol was doing fine, but you had to watch your cholesterol all the same. You were confused but never asked him to explain his statement. Later, while discussing the matter over coffee with your best pal, you confessed you don't know what your doctor meant. Your heart sank when your friend teased that your doctor said you are too fat. Well, now you know that it is not a good idea to discuss your medical condition with someone other than a trained practitioner. But you will get over the hurt feelings about your friend's remarks, so too should you try to understand the difference between HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Both are essential to keep the organs, muscles, tissues and so on. The HDL acts like the garbage collector in the body while the LDL is more like the kid who litters the living room with toys. In the first case, the kid needs the toys to play with, and this gives his caretakers a break from caring for him. However, once he finishes play he leaves the toys lying on the floor, and they pose a threat to anyone who might trip over them. So, the caretaker plays the good guy role and picks up the toys, day after day. Similarly, the HDL cholesterol acts like the caretaker and cleans up after the LDL cholesterol carrying cholesterol away from the tissues, muscles and organs. Now this is no small job because the LDL cholesterol outnumber the HDL cholesterol by a ratio of 3:1. So when your doctor tells you HDL cholesterol is okay, but you still have to work on your cholesterol, you will want to raise the count of the HDL cholesterol. This means more good cholesterol will be available to clean up the bad cholesterol the LDL leaves. And you can take different actions to ensure the body has the capability to preserve healthy cells. Healthy cells lead to free-flowing arteries and in turn, a well functioning heart. Remember cholesterol is just the fatty substances that are found inside the lipoproteins, HDL and LDL. The body, specifically the liver, makes most of these substances but your lifestyle contributes the rest. Your diet, your exercise, body weight, and alcohol play key roles in the quality of your cholesterol. So you can contribute to creating more HDL cholesterol if you moderate your lifestyle choices. Eat properly, avoid alcohol, get exercise, keep a sensible body weight, and get a proper night's sleep. Even small changes in your diet that lead to small changes in HDL levels can make a difference. For example, a 1 milligram per deciliter rise in your HDL cholesterol would result in a healthy drop of about 3% in your risk of heart disease. What will happen if you see a 10 milligram rise? This is possible. Achieving healthy HDL levels is within your grasp, you only have to want it. Working with a trained practitioner can help to maintain good HDL cholesterol levels. |
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