A balanced diet and an active lifestyle can help ensure healthy cholesterol levels
Cholesterol is a substance present in all the cells of the body. Build-up of cholesterol beyond normal levels can pose serious risk to health - heart attacks and strokes. Though cardiac health is not just limited to high cholesterol levels. Nutritionist Dr Vishakha breaks myths around the consumption of statin, a cholesterol-lowering drug, and educates us around the numbers which reflect heart health.
She wrote, "To think you need to be on a statin- a cholesterol lowering drug, just because your total cholesterol number is elevated is highly misleading! I have so many patients who consult me from all parts of the world who think they are at a risk for heart disease based on this one number. This is incorrect."
According to Dr Vishakha, the numbers of your good cholesterol, triglycerides, and the triglycerides/HDL ratio give a much better indication of heart health than one total cholesterol number.
1. HDL- your good cholesterol
The nutritionist states that more than 40mg/dl in men and 50 md/dl in women is important to offer good cardiac protection. If this number is low, you must focus on managing and maintaining this number. Include regular exercises in your routine, consume omega rich foods and speak to your doctor for relevant supplements.
2. Triglycerides
This is probably the most important figure which reflect your heart health. "Tg levels under a 100mg / dl are great for cardiac health," Dr Vishakha said.
3. Triglycerides/hdl ratio
You want this ratio to be in the range of 1-2. If your total cholesterol is high, but this ratio is fine, you don't have to worry much about it.
Doctor Vishakha highlights that if you have a family history of heart disease, then you certainly need to be more vigilant. Not by taking a statin, but by running more specific tests and bringing all the necessary lifestyle and diet changes. As per the nutritionist, a few months of lifestyle modifications should hugely help reduce these numbers, thereby even eliminating the need for statins.
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