How to control cholesterol

How to control cholesterol

The most important diseases that people want to identify in the medical examination are high blood pressure, diabetes and dysentery. This is because these three diseases are the main causes of cardiovascular disease (cardiocardial infarction, angina, stroke, etc.). High blood pressure and diabetes have diagnostic criteria that can be applied consistently to everyone, making it easy to distinguish between normal, alert, and disease. However, if cholesterol is high, it can be confusing because different people have different levels to maintain it properly than normal/unnormal conditions. For example, one can be told that it's okay to have 135 mg/dL of LDL cholesterol, while another can be told that it's too high, so you have to lose weight, exercise, and even take medication.


What role does cholesterol play in our body?
Cholesterol is a type of fat, which is one of the causes of vascular diseases such as hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerosis. It is known to be a bad ingredient to people, but it is a necessary ingredient for our body to be maintained. Cholesterol forms the body's own cell membrane, produces sex hormones and vitamin D, and is a source of bile. As such, cholesterol is an essential ingredient in our body, but too much can actually hurt our body.

Is high cholesterol all bad?
Cholesterol is divided into HDL (high density) cholesterol and LDL (low density) cholesterol. The cholesterol we often say is bad is LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is closely related to cardiovascular disease. Therefore, in the case of coronary artery disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease, active treatment and regular examination of LDL cholesterol levels are needed to prevent the recurrence and progression of the disease. In addition, patients with conditions such as neck artery disease, abdominal aneurysm, and diabetes also have a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, so it is necessary to strictly control LDL cholesterol.


So, how much control should LDL cholesterol be?
To what extent LDL cholesterol levels should be controlled varies from individual to individual. This is because each patient may have a different disease state. To determine whether treatment is required, you must first check how many risk factors for cardiovascular disease are present in each individual
Risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, age (male over 45 years, female over 55 years old), myocardial infarction, and family history. Given the different treatment policies and the different individual health issues must be considered according to the risk factors assessed, consultation with a specialist is required to determine which treatment method to choose.

Patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease should start medication immediately, along with lifestyle corrections, namely, diet control, aerobic exercise, weight loss if they are obese, and smoking. In patients with moderate or lower risk, a lifestyle calibration should be conducted weeks or months ahead and medication should be started if LDL cholesterol levels do not reach their goal. The appropriate levels of LDL cholesterol vary from person to person and must be adjusted according to the recommendations of the specialist. To prevent hyperlipidemia, adults aged 40 and over must check their health conditions once a year. Also, it is helpful to practice low-salt, low-fat diets, eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables, and exercise regular aerobic exercise for more than 30 minutes every day to maintain weight.