Statins and Cholesterol

cholesterol you cholesterolfromyou
cholesterol is important
Cholesterol has a bad rap. In reality, your body needs cholesterol to
make hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids that help you digest food
in your intestines. Cholesterol keeps you healthy.
However, too much of one type (LDL or Low-Density Liproteins) or
not enough of another (HDL or High-Density Lipoproteins) can put
you at risk for heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.
The cells in your
body as well as
your liver produce
cholesterol, which is
needed to ensure
the body functions
properly.
your liver &
other cells
produce about
75% of your
blood cholesterol
Some people inherit
genes that cause their
bodies to produce too
much cholesterol, or keep
their body from absorbing
enough cholesterol. They
could still have high
cholesterol even if theyre
not eating food thats
high in cholesterol.
genetics
plays a big role
in how much
cholesterol
your body produces
cholesterol food cholesterolfromfood
food
is broken
down
and is then
processed
the fat then
circulates
through the body
the liver
makes ldl & hdl
In the stomach
digestive enzymes
break your food
down in preparation
for it to enter the
small intestine.
These nutrients are
absorbed through
the intestinal walls
and transported
through the body.
In the intestines,
fat, carbohydrates
and proteins are
broken down.
In the liver, triglycerides,
cholesterol, and proteins
form together to make
LDL and HDL. LDL carries
cholesterol to all of the
cells in the body while
HDL carries cholesterol
away from cells and back
to the liver.
25% of your
blood cholesterol
comes from the
food you eat
saturated fat and cholesterol
in the food you eat can make your blood cholesterol
level go up. Too much LDL will result in cholesterol
being deposited into your arteries. This can lead to
heart disease, strokes and heart attack.
reduce the amount of
saturated fat & cholesterol
in your diet
Eating a low-saturated-fat,
low-cholesterol diet should help
lower your LDL (bad
cholesterol). If its not lowered
enough by reducing saturated
fat and cholesterol, you can
increase the amount of soluble
fiber in your diet.
lifestyle changes can help lower cholesterol
When a patient without heart disease is first diagnosed with elevated
blood cholesterol, health care professionals advise a program of reduced
dietary saturated fat and cholesterol, together with physical activity and
weight control, as the primary treatment.
Regular physical activity
(30 minutes daily) can
help raise HDL (good
cholesterol) levels and
lower LDL levels. This is
especially important for
individuals with high
triglyceride and/or low
HDL levels who are
overweight with a large
waist measurement.
physical activity
can help raise HDL
and lower ldl
reduce cholesterol
reduceyourcholesterol
losing weight
can help
lower ldl
Excess weight tends to
increase your LDL levels.
Losing this weight is not only
important in lowering your
LDL levels but is especially
important for those with
several risk factors, like low
HDL levels or high
triglyceride levels.
statins
howstatinswork
statins help
block production
of LDL in the liver
bad cholesterol (LDL)
sticks to the arteries
and forms plaque
Cholesterol plaques build up
slowly, eventually resulting in
blocked arteries
(atherosclerosis), and reducing
the flow of oxygen-rich blood to
your heart. This can lead to
heart disease.
Resources
High Blood Cholesterol: What you need to know
National Heart Blood and Lung Institute: www.nhlbi.nih.gov
About Cholesterol
American Heart Association: www.heart.org
Understanding Cholesterol: The Good, the Bad, and the Necessary
Harvard Health Publications
www.health.harvard.edu
Healthfinder
www.healthfinder.gov
The body needs
cholesterol to function,
but sometimes, based on
genetics, food intake, and
activity, the body
produces too much
cholesterol. Statins block
an enzyme thats key to
the livers production of
cholesterol. This inhibits
the livers ability to
produce cholesterol. The
goal is less cholesterol in
the bloodstream and a
reduction in risk for
high-cholesterol-related
diseases.
MedlinePlus
www.medlineplus.gov
the main goal of cholesterol treatment
is to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. When diet and exercise are not enough
to reduce cholesterol to goal levels, doctors often prescribe medicationthe
most prominent being statins. By interfering with the production of cholesterol,
statin medications can slow the formation of plaques in the arteries.

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