High Cholesterol and Triglycerides

You doctor is constantly hounding you about your cholesterol level. You never seem to win the constant battle. With an array of fast foods and take-outs we have around us it is not always easy to eat a balanced meal, especially since we are always pressed for time. We might have demanding lives and exercise does not fit into the picture. We have to realize that cholesterol is a problem that we have to face some time.

Understanding cholesterol and triglyrecides tests better can help us understand where we are going wrong in our lifestyle. It could mean that we have to just slightly adjust our diet or seriously watch our fat intake.

When we test cholesterol and triglyrecides, what are we actually testing? It is a test to check how much fat is in our blood and to determine how harmful it is to us. It also tests how prone we are to heart disease. Cholesterol runs in our blood attached to a protein, it generates hormones and helps to develop cells.

If we have too much cholesterol in our blood it can cause us to have a stroke or a heart attack. HDL (high-density lipoprotein), cholesterol removes fat from our body and carries it to the liver by means of our blood stream. A high level of this cholesterol is good for us. VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) is not good for us. Triglyrecides which is produced by your liver is a fat that stores energy and the purpose of VLDL cholesterol, which contains minimul protein, is to distribute triglyrecides. A high level of this cholesteral causes a build up and you run the risk of a heart attack. Low-density lipoprotein which is known as LDL is a bad cholesterol because it increases your risk of developing heart disease. It carries fat and a tiny bit of protein from your liver to the rest of your body.