The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol

From the experts at one of the world’s most respected medical schools–your complete guide to managing cholesterol and staying healthy for life

Everybody knows that high cholesterol is something to be concerned about. But what does it really mean when your doctor tells you that your cholesterol levels are high, and what should you do about it? If you’re worried about your cholesterol, here’s your chance to get the answers you need from a top expert at the Harvard Medical School.

As founder and chief of the prestigious Lipid Metabolism Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Mason W. Freeman treats hundreds of patients each year and oversees breakthrough cholesterol research.

In The Harvard Medical School Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol he explains:

* What cholesterol is and the difference between “good” and “bad” cholesterol

* How to assess your risk for high cholesterol

* How to work with your doctor to develop the best treatment plan for you

* Cholesterol-lowering drugs–who should take them, what to look out for, and how to be sure your doctor is monitoring you properly

* How to manage your cholesterol through diet and exercise

* The latest scientific findings on alternative therapies

About the Harvard Medical School health guide series

Each book from Harvard Medical School gives you the knowledge you need to understand and take control of your health. In every book, a world-renowned expert from Harvard Medical School provides you with the latest information on diagnosis, traditional and alternative treatments, home remedies, and lifestyle changes that can make a powerful difference in your health.

Cholesterol test

also called a lipid panel or lipid profile —....It is a group of blood tests that measure the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. A cholesterol test can help determine your risk of atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaques in your arteries that can lead to narrowed or blocked arteries throughout your body. If your cholesterol levels are high, you probably won't have any signs or symptoms, so a cholesterol test is an important tool. High cholesterol levels are a significant risk factor for heart disease.

What's measured in a cholesterol test?
A complete cholesterol test, referred to as a lipid panel or lipid profile, includes the measurement of four types of fats (lipids) in your blood:

* Total cholesterol. This is a sum of your blood's cholesterol content.
* High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This is sometimes called the "good" cholesterol because it helps carry away LDL cholesterol, thus keeping arteries open and your blood flowing more freely.
* Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. This is sometimes called the "bad" cholesterol. Too much of it in your blood causes the buildup of fatty deposits (plaques) in your arteries (atherosclerosis), which reduces blood flow. These plaques sometimes rupture and can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
* Triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides, which are stored in fat cells. High triglyceride levels usually mean you regularly eat more calories than you burn. High levels are also seen in overweight people, in those consuming too many sweets or too much alcohol, and in people with diabetes who have elevated blood sugar levels.

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avoiding heart disease

* Don’t worry about your cholesterol, Although keep check on its level— the stress of unnecessary worry can contribute to heart disease.

* Do not take cholesterol lowering drugs, they contribute to heart failure.

* Avoid processed food, especially food containing processed vegetables oils and fats.

* Eat the meals, fats and organ meats of grass-fed animals.

* Eat plenty of wild-caught seafood.

* Don’t consume protein powders, lean meat, egg whites without yolks or skim milk. High protein diets lacking the nutrients supplied by animal fats deplete vitamin A, leading to heart disease.

* Eat liver at once in a month to ensure adequate levels of vitamin B12, B6, folic acid, iron, copper.

* Take cod liver oil and consume plenty of utter from grass-fed cows to ensure adequate levels of vitamin A and D.

* Maintain a healthy weight, either too heavy neither too thin.

* Engage in moderate exercise in outdoors.

* Don’t smoke.

* Avoid exposure to environmental toxins.

Understanding Cholesterol Basics

Cholesterol. You hear the word a lot. But what exactly is Cholesterol, and why should you be concerned about it?

Healthy food to avoid cardiovascular diseases

Cardiovascular diseases occur as a result of risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity or smoking. Bellow you will find a range of foods and drinks which will help your heart function normally and help you avoid cardiovascular diseases.

Morning tea is very important for your heart’s health. Sage, rosemary and thyme have lots of antioxidant proprieties and protect you from the risk of developing diabetes, stroke or hypertension.

Cherries and blueberries are recommended for your heart because of their magnesium content and antioxidant proprieties which maintain normal cholesterol and blood sugar values.

A glass of red wine before bedtime improves blood circulation and does wonders for your heart. Try not to exceed one drink a day because too much alcohol hurts the heart.

Salmon and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which assure a normal heart rhythm and protect you against stroke. So does extra virgin olive oil which can successfully replace sunflower oil.

Hazelnuts, peanuts and walnuts are rich in fiber, contain large amounts of vitamin E and reduce the risk of stroke. Tofu helps you to normalize the amount of triglycerides, avoid a load of artery-clogging saturated fat and may be considered the perfect food for your heart.

Oranges are the most recommended fruits for improving your cardiac activity. So do green vegetables, rich in potassium and magnesium, which help to normalize cholesterol.

Yogurt provides the calcium requirements for your heart through a careful control of blood pressure. Coffee, if consumed only in the morning and in small quantities, is a good energizer for your heart. Also chili pepper helps your heart by preventing a spike in insulin levels after a meal.

To eliminate cardiovascular diseases risk factors you should limit salt consumption, coffee and if the case, quit smoking.

Grapes may prevent cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome

Eating grapes may reduce the risk factors known as the metabolic syndrome, according to researchers at the University of Michigan Health System. These risk factors include obesity and hypertension that often lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

To test the effects of grapes on the development of heart disease and metabolic syndrome researchers used a breed of rats prone to develop metabolic syndrome. They divided the rats into two groups and fed a high-fat diet to one of the groups, while the other group received the same diet but supplemented with grape powder mixed from regular table grapes.

After three months, the rats that received the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, and reduced indicators of inflammation in the heart and the blood than rats who received no grape powder. Rats also had lower triglycerides and improved glucose tolerance.

“The possible reasoning behind the lessening of metabolic syndrome is that the phytochemicals (Grapes contain phytochemicals - a naturally occurring antioxidants) were active in protecting the heart cells from the damaging effects of metabolic syndrome. In the rats, inflammation of the heart and heart function was maintained far better,” says Steven Bolling, M.D (Steven Bolling, M.D. – heart surgeon at the U-M Cardiovascular Center and head of the U-M Cardioprotection Research Laboratory)

Further study is needed to determine the effect grapes and other dark fruits have in preventing metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease in humans.

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