High blood pressure, which is also known as hypertension, is like a silent ninja. Your arteries narrow over time from cholesterol build up, causing your heart to work over-time and before you know it, you're having a heart attack at 40. Other risks include stroke, diabetes, lung failure, kidney failure, glaucoma, and the list goes on and on. However, the good news is that your general practitioner can easily detect this condition, as well as high cholesterol, in a routine check up and the effects can be reversed through diet, lifestyle changes and medication.
If you are hypertensive, then it can be caused by many lifestyle choices. For instance, a 2005 study found that women who took 500 mg of Tylenol each day for headaches or pains were more likely to develop high blood pressure than women who did not. Users of cocaine and amphetamines, as well as smokers, were also more at risk. High body fat, high salt intake, low potassium intake, high cholesterol levels, inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and high stress are often linked to hypertension as well. Health experts say that this condition isn't so cut-and-dry, that poor lifestyle choices aren't always the culprit. Some people are just at risk because they're aging, pregnant or born into a family with a history of high blood pressure.
People with hypertension may have to undergo several tests to determine the severity of their situation. The most basic test of heart health is the old inflatable arm cuff we've been seeing at every check up for our entire lives, no big deal. A urinalysis where you pee into a cup is a very non-invasive way of checking the blood for abnormalities. In rare cases, an electrocardiogram will measure your heart's electrical activity, but generally, the little tests are enough to determine whether your cardiovascular health is poor or not.
A 2006 study found that adults who worked more than 40-50 hours per week were more likely to have high blood pressure and poor heart health than those who worked less than 40 hours. While hard work may be the "American way" and has become a necessity for many families across the US, health experts say that it's taking its toll on our sleep, our diets and our time set aside to spend relaxing or exercising. All these factors make us more susceptible to hypertension and an untimely death. Perhaps, if we just take a moment to examine our lifestyle choices, then we can add another 10 years onto our lives.
As we get older there are key numbers that start to weigh to a great extent upon us. We have to worry about our blood pressure, weight and our cholesterol level. Things we may have ignored our entire lives now all of a sudden have great importance. However these are things that should never have been disregarded. A lifetime of abuse on the body establishes merely damaging things when left unchecked.
Your cholesterol level is without question crucial if you wish to continue healthy and your body operating properly. High levels has the ability to lead lead to heart attacks as well as stroke, both of these things you do not want to have to contend with. Being mindful about your cholesterol level is not only for the elderly. It is something both young and old have to be concerned with as well as be aware of if they hope to to lead a healthy life. In this article we will cover the fundamentals of cholesterol and hopefully you will understand how essential a healthy level is to your body and peace of mind.
What is bad cholesterol?
LDL cholesterol is bad. All cholesterol is carried by lipoproteins but the low-density lipoproteins moves in the blood stream and allows the cholesterol to begin to accumulate. If there is too much LDL then the cholesterol begins building up on the walls of the arteries. It begins to form plaque which makes the arteries hard and not as flexible. When clots form and block the artery a heart attack or stroke can occur.
What happens when cholesterol gets too high?
Well when LDL gets too high then the cholesterol begins to accumulate on the artery walls and then hardens into plaque. The build up continues until the entire artery is blocked off. This added blockage makes it hard for blood to get to the heart where it can be pumped to the rest of the body. It can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
When HDL levels are high this is a good thing because researchers believe that HDL helps rid the body of cholesterol build-up. That is why a diet rich in foods that promote HDL is always heavily recommended.
In what way is the obstruction from the arteries withdrawn?
The initial stage is through medicines but if there is a acute contracting or blockage in the artery or blood vessel then a slightly more intrusive procedure is required. The actual processes might change however one popular method is done through the use of a balloon angioplasty. The mechanical device is introduced into the artery and navigated to the where the blockage is located where the build up of plaque has happened. The balloon is then inflated to clear the passage. Nowadays the routine is minimally intrusive and the majority of patients are able to going home that day.
What is the normal range for a healthy cholesterol level?
The American Heart Association has guidelines established for what is considered a healthy range of cholesterol levels. A total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL is considered to be a desirable level since it puts you at a lower risk of having heart disease. Here is the trick though. It is not just about total cholesterol. Your HDL levels should be over 60 mg/dL and your LDL should be lower than 100 mg/dL. Mg/dL means it is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood.
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