Reducing Your Cholesterol Early In Life Proven To Reduce Risk Of Heart Disease
When it comes to our health, preventative care is key. Just like you would wash your hands vigorously during flu season, or take a Claritin before even thinking about stepping outside during the spring, doctors want you to reduce your cholesterol now in order to prevent heart problems later in life. Specifically, if you’re 45 years old or younger and already experiencing high cholesterol, doctors encourage you to change your eating and exercise habits and talk with your physician about potential medications that can reduce your risk for heart problems and lower your cholesterol levels at the same time.
The news broke after a study was published this week in the medical journal, “The Lancet.” The study is one of the most in-depth and comprehensive research pieces regarding the long term risks of cardiovascular disease in relation to non- HDL cholesterol.
CNN reports that “non-HDL cholesterol is your total cholesterol value minus your HDL, or ‘good,’ cholesterol. Non-HDL cholesterol includes LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, that builds up in the walls of your arteries, restricting blood and oxygen flowing to your heart, and triglycerides, the fat carried in your blood from the food you eat.”
Essentially non-HDL refers to unwanted cholesterol levels that you would want to improve on. The study is being labeled as extremely in-depth due to its massive survey group which included almost 400,000 people aged from 30 to 85. The subjects came from 19 different countries, and the study itself took almost 14 years to complete (CNN). The huge and diverse group allowed researchers to come to more concrete conclusions in regard to cholesterol and heart issues.
The data concluded that the group most at risk for heart problems later in life were people 45 years old or younger. In women, it showed that the subjects with less than great cholesterol levels had a 16% chance of having heart issues and an increased risk of stroke by the time they turn 75. For men with the same level of risk factor, they have a 29% chance of heart problems/stroke by the time they turn 75.
The study’s authors also “calculated the risk further and say, hypothetically, if people in the under 45 age group cut their non-HDL cholesterol levels in half, they’d reduce their risk of heart problems significantly, from about 29% to 6% for men and 16% to 4% for women — despite other cardiovascular risk factors. That means the risk reduction is much larger if cholesterol levels come down at a younger age.”
Heart disease is the number one killer in the world, so the study’s main purpose was to reinforce the idea that preventative self care is your best bet at living a long and healthy life. So what kind of personal changes can you make to reduce your risk of heart complications later on in life? Diet and exercise choices remain the number one way you can prevent heart issues of any kind from developing. If you already are experiencing issues with your cholesterol, you should avoid gaining weight and make some immediate lifestyle changes. The American Heart Association recommends 30 minutes of any kind of exercise a day, 5 days a week. Your body will thank you in the long run. Eating well and living an active life is good for your cholesterol, your heart, and your general health.
In addition to practicing general healthy eating and exercise habits, you should avoid smoking and the use of tobacco products in general, as they increase your risk for heart disease regardless of what your cholesterol levels are. The official US dietary guidelines suggest that adult women should be eating up to 2,400 calories a day and adult men, 3,000. Most importantly, make sure you’re getting your annual physician check ups, and if you’re worried about your cholesterol levels and/or your risk for heart issues later on in life, talk to your doctor about your options and where you currently stand. They’re the professionals, so obviously they will steer you in the right direction in terms of diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle habits that will ensure you live a long and healthy life.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.