TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Hear the word cholesterol, people tend to identify it as a health hazard. This assumption is not entirely true. In fact, there are two types of cholesterol, namely good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
According to the Mayo Clinic, cholesterol is a lipid or fat produced by liver cells and other body cells that is found in all cells and has several useful functions, including helping to build your body’s cells. Cholesterol is carried through your bloodstream attached to proteins. These proteins, called lipoproteins, carry cholesterol throughout the body. These lipoproteins are divided into two types, namely LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein).
LDL (low-density lipoprotein), also known as bad cholesterol which makes up most of the cholesterol in the body. High levels of LDL cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
High LDL can eventually accumulate in the walls of blood vessels and narrow the channels, thus becoming the main cause of narrowing of blood vessels. Sometimes a clot can form and get stuck in a narrowed space, causing a heart attack or stroke. This is why LDL cholesterol is often referred to as bad cholesterol.
Quoted from the Harapan Bangsa University page, the body can tolerate bad cholesterol levels of less than 100 milligrams. The amount of LDL 100-129 mg/dL can be said as the tolerance threshold. The amount of LDL 130-159 mg/dL indicates that it has entered a high threshold and if the amount has reached 160-189 mg/dL it has entered a high level. While the LDL amount of 190 mg/dL and above is already at a very high level.
The amount of bad cholesterol that exceeds the normal limit can cause various health problems such as heart disease, stroke and other blood vessel diseases.
Meanwhile, HDL (high-density lipoprotein), referred to as good cholesterol. This HDL helps absorb cholesterol and bring it back to the liver, where it is broken down. The liver then removes it from the body. High levels of HDL cholesterol can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
An HDL level of at least 60 mg/dL or more can help reduce the risk of heart disease. Conversely, HDL levels of less than 40 mg/dL actually increase the risk of heart disease. So the higher the level of good cholesterol, the better for health.
To some extent, people who naturally have higher levels of HDL cholesterol have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Surprisingly, if the body with HDL levels, which are very high above 100 mg/dL appear to be at higher risk of heart disease. This may be caused by genetic factors.
If you have high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol, your doctor may focus on lowering LDL cholesterol first. Drugs known as statins, such as atorvastatin (Lipitor) and simvastatin (Zocor) are the most common treatment for high LDL cholesterol.
Lifestyle changes known to increase HDL, such as moving more, quitting smoking or improving your diet, have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack. However, drugs that specifically increase HDL levels cannot reduce heart attack rates.
Please note, drugs containing testosterone and other anabolic steroids can lower cholesterol levels HDL You. Avoiding these medications can help increase your HDL numbers.
WILDA HASANAH
Read: 3 Causes of High Cholesterol One of the Causes of Heart Disease
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