Lipid Diagnosis and Therapy
The Heart Health and Wellness Center offers specialized testing and lipid therapy. Blood lipids are fatty substances in the blood, including HDL, good cholesterol, LDL, bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Excess cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of heart disease. There are two types of cholesterol:
- LDL, bad cholesterol, (low density lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL- C.) is a type of fat in the body, which carries cholesterol from the liver to the cells. This cholesterol may build up over time and clot your blood vessels, leading to heart problems.
- HDL, good cholesterol, (high density lipoprotein cholesterol or HDL-C) carries the LDL cholesterol to the liver to be cleared from the body.
LDL-C is harmful to your heart, whereas a high HDL-C is both beneficial and protective to the heart. The combination of high LDL-C and homocysteine levels in certain ethnic groups, specifically if combined with high uric acid, can lead to heart failure and/or kidney failure. Other factors that influence lipid fats are calcium and magnesium, as well as blood sugar and hemoglobin A1C, an indicator of how the blood sugar is influencing triglycerides.
LDL cholesterol, otherwise known as the "bad" cholesterol, is concern because studies have shown that lowering LDL-C reduces the chances of heart attack or stroke, but it does not necessarily prevents the problem entirely. However, there is a great deal of recent evidence that shows that HDL -C, good cholesterol, can positively influence the outcome of what happens to the heart.
Your personal safe level of LDL-C depends on the specific risk level as determined by your doctor. There are many other factors that influence that decision, such as a family history and age. Other risk factors or conditions that control how blood fats will affect your entire body are also important. For example, a person who already has had a heart attack, heart disease, or diabetes is considered to be in a high-risk group. The LDL-C level for a high-risk person needs to be considerably low.
Although trying to reach your LDL -C goal is important, your risk of heart disease may be further reduced by changing other factors such as high triglyceride levels. Triglyceride is a subgroup of blood lipids, which has also been linked to heart disease and lowering of HDL -C, good cholesterol.
The following may lead to increased triglyceride levels:
- Obesity or weight gain
- Lack of physical activity
- Cigarette smoking
- Excessive alcohol
- Diet high in fats and sugars
- Certain drugs, such as steroids
- Family history of diabetes.
Experts at The Heart Health and Wellness Center can assist you in determining if you have normal, borderline, high or very high triglyceride levels.
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