Saffola Life - Keep Your Heart young

Ideally, your cholesterol level should be less than 200 mg/dl. Figures between 200-239 mg/dl are seen as borderline high and those at 240 mg/dl or above are considered high.

One of the best methods to check your blood cholesterol is the Lipoprotein (lipid) profile test. It is by far the most accurate cholesterol test that'll measure the different fractions of cholesterol in your blood, including, levels of total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

All of us have 2 kinds of cholesterol in the body. The LDL cholesterol or the “bad” cholesterol is the one which deposits on the walls of the blood vessels (arteries) forming plaques, thus narrowing down the blood vessels and leading to an obstruction in the flow of blood.

The HDL cholesterol or the “good” cholesterol is the one that takes away the excess cholesterol by carrying it back to the liver. It also removes some of the cholesterol that's already attached to the walls of the arteries.

Make sure you avoid foods that contain fats and trans fats; this will include all kinds of junk and fast food. Add a lot of fruits, cereals and veggies to your diet. These are rich in fiber, which is beneficial for your health.

As far as eggs are concerned, research has shown that eating an egg a day is unlikely to increase your risk of heart disease. In fact some studies have gone to the extent of saying that there isn't much of a link between heart diseases and eating eggs among individuals who practice a health regimen. However, for people who are suffering from heart disease and high cholesterol levels, the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has recommended that their egg yolk intake per week should be no more than 2.

It's really hard to put a finger on one exact cause that can lead to high cholesterol but one can certainly list out a number of factors that are responsible for the same. It can be a result of too many saturated fats in the diet and in some cases because of no physical activity. However, in most cases it's because of a combination of the two factors. High cholesterol may also be the result of some inherited diseases in a person, in addition to other causes.

No, this isn't always true. In most cases where cholesterol levels are high, your doctor will ask you to make a lifestyle change in order to alter your diet and health plan; such as eating lots of vegetables, fruits and cereals and exercising regularly. However, in some extreme cases, doctors will prescribe medication only when diet and fitness don't work. Your doctor is best judge of what kind of treatment you require, so let him be the one to write out your prescription.

Although high blood cholesterol doesn't always mean that you will end up contracting heart disease, it does definitely put you at a higher risk of suffering from cardiac conditions. But at the same time, it is important to take into account the fact that there are other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking etc. which also tend to affect the health of your heart.

Yes, this is correct. In many cases, the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (TC/HDL-C) is used for calculating the risk of heart attack. It has been estimated that if the value of this ratio is more than 5, you are more likely to suffer from heart attacks. An important point to be remembered is that among patients who have high triglyceride levels, the ratio may not stand valid.

Over many years of research, there has been a direct relationship drawn between smoking and cholesterol. Smoking leads to a significant decrease in the levels of HDL or good cholesterol in addition to damaging the vessels of the heart.