Frank's Advice on Cardiovascular Disease and Cholesterol
Monday, 01 March 2010 14:32
Cardiovascular Diseases are disorders of the heart and blood vessels caused by the build-up of fatty plaques on the inside of the blood vessels called atheroma.
The atheroma cause narrowing of the blood vessels and because they may develop cracks or cause eddies in the blood flow, blood clots can form causing further problems, including heart attack and stroke. Your Murrays Pharmacist can give you more information on these problems and the British Heart Foundation have published some really informative bookelets on the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Of course, with any condition like this, prevention of the problem is a big factor and you can minimise your risk by watching your diet, taking plenty of aerobic exercise (walking and/or jogging) and limiting alcohol intake. Again ask your Murrays Pharmacist for advice on this, especially your individual risk factors,as people who have diabetes, kidney disease or who smoke, may need specialist advice.
If you think you need a formal risk assessment, your doctor or nurse can determine your risk factor according to a scale, but you must be honest with them to get an accurate reading.
Atheroma
Atheroma, the fatty deposits in the blood vessels, are more prone to formation in people who have high cholesterol levels. To find your owwn cholesterol level, you need to see your doctor for a fasting blood test.
Cholesterol in the blood is made up of different types so it is important that we look at the proportions of these types:
- HDL (High Density Lipids) or 'good' cholesterol, should be a reading of between 1 and 2
- LDL (Low Density Lipids) or 'bad' cholesterol should be 3 or less
- Triglycerides are a measurement of fat in the blood and should be as low as possible
Total Cholesterols should be less than 5 but as long as the ratio of HDL (good cholesterol) to total cholesterol is less than 4.5, the risk is lowered considerably. All these readings are available from your doctor if he takes a fasting blood test, so you can discuss your next move with him. Your Murrays Pharmacist can also give you advice on your readings especially alterations to your lifestyle which can influence your cholesterol levels.
There are lots of ways to reduce your cholesterol, but the main ones are:
- Regular exercise
- A low fat diet
- Giving up smoking (Murrays have anti-Smoking Advisors in most of their Pharmacies)
- Moderate your alcohol intake
There is no quick fix with lowering cholesterol it is a slow and steady process so ...ASK YOUR MURRAYS PHARMACIST you'll be taking GOOD ADVICE!
