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Cholesterol is something that we all have. This fatty substance found in every cell in your body and plays an important role in a variety of vital functions, including maintaining cell membranes, hormone synthesis, and production of vitamin D.
However, the body naturally produces adequate amounts of cholesterol to sustain optimal body and so any extra cholesterol added to our diet is unnecessary and when levels become too high in cholesterol becomes potentially dangerous.

The body manufactures two types of cholesterol - LDL (bad form of cholesterol) and HDL (good form of cholesterol).

When LDL levels are too high, fat, or plaque, can begin to accumulate on the walls of your arteries, reducing the amount of blood that can go through and putting a greater risk of heart attacks, arteriosclerosis or heart disease.

Healthy levels of HDL cholesterol help clear this up in the arteries before I have a chance to build. To maintain healthy levels, we need to maintain low levels of LDL and HDL levels up.

Being diagnosed with high cholesterol can be a scary thing and something that can not be ignored. The good news is that cholesterol can be controlled and many people use this as an opportunity to make positive life changes.

Diagnosis of high cholesterol:
To measure cholesterol levels, your doctor will collect a blood sample is sent to a lab for a profile or lipid analysis. This analysis can tell you what your total cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides (a type of blood fat).

What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?
Like high blood pressure, often referred to as the silent murderer, high cholesterol has no symptoms and is usually discovered only during a routine checkup. If your cholesterol levels are too high, you may notice small yellow nodules beneath the skin of his eyes, eyebrows or elbows.

However, a blood test is the only way to measure cholesterol levels and according to the American Heart Association, all adults over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol levels checked every 3-5 years, especially if you are overweight have a cholesterol problem or if there is family history of heart disease or high cholesterol.

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood and there are some standard guidelines that will help you determine if your cholesterol levels are too high.

Note that cholesterol levels change from person to person depending on the presence or absence of a number of factors that may put you at increased risk of heart disease. These factors include smoking, age, family history, blood pressure and HDL cholesterol levels. For the most accurate measurements, do not eat or drink anything (except water) for nine to 12 hours before the blood test.

What causes high cholesterol?
There is a definite link between high cholesterol and a diet high in dietary cholesterol and saturated fat, although genetic factors also play an important role. Smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise and fat can also contribute to high cholesterol levels.

Help for high cholesterol:
It is very important to take steps to control their cholesterol levels. If untreated, high cholesterol can have serious medical consequences such as heart disease.

The good news is that high cholesterol can be controlled by combining a healthy lifestyle with proper medical treatment. Treatment can include synthetic prescription medication, natural remedies or a combination of both.

Combination of natural remedies, regular exercise and dietary changes can make a significant difference to LDL levels and reduce or even eliminate the need for prescription drugs.

Natural remedies and red rice yeast are well known for their beneficial properties to reduce LDL (“bad") and triglyceride levels while increasing HDL (good). With some changes in lifestyle and a little help from nature, cholesterol levels can be managed.

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