U.S. Cholesterol Rates Fall!
The percentage of adults with high cholesterol showed a 27% decline over a ten year period, according to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC survey for 2009 and 2010 included blood tests from 6,000 people.
High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease that is the leading cause of death in the United States.
Cholesterol is a fatty chemical compound, known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. It is mainly made by the liver but can also be found in some foods we eat. Your body needs cholesterol to provide the body's cells with the needed fluidity and flexibility for proper function. It is also one of many substances needed to create several of the body's essential hormones. Excessively high level of lipids in your blood can have a negative effect on your health. High cholesterol itself does not cause any symptoms, but it increases your risk of serious health conditions.
Cholesterol is carried through your blood by proteins, and when the two combine they are called lipoproteins. There are harmful and protective lipoproteins known as HDL and LDL, or “good” and “bad” cholesterol.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, where it is broken down and removed from of the body as a waste product. This is why it is referred to as "good cholesterol", and higher levels are better.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries cholesterol from your liver to the cells that need it. If there is too much cholesterol for the cells to use, it can build up in the artery walls, leading to disease of the arteries. Therefore, LDL cholesterol is known as "bad cholesterol".
High total cholesterol is defined as more than 240 mg/dL, and optimal is below 200 mg/dL. From 2005 to 2008, the average cholesterol level for adults was 198 mg/dL, which would be considered borderline high.
Good News
Only 13.4% of U.S. adults have high cholesterol, according to the CDC report, possibly reflecting better diet, more exercise and the increased use of prescription drugs and herbal supplements to lower the risk of heart attacks. A similar survey conducted in 1999 and 2000 showed that 18.3% of adults had high total cholesterol.
The American government had set a goal to have no more than 17% of adults with high cholesterol. Men reached this goal 10 years ago, and women five years ago. That may seem amazing in a country where two-thirds of adults are overweight.
Weight is just one factor that affects cholesterol levels. Diet, exercise, age, gender, heredity and diseases like diabetes can all increase cholesterol beyond optimal amounts. Health experts believe that cholesterol levels will continue to drop, in spite of the obesity epidemic, because of a decrease in smoking, an increase in exercise, better nutritional options and the wider use of cholesterol-lowering drugs and supplements.
While there are no symptoms associated with high cholesterol, levels in the blood can be monitored by a simple test.
Despite the positive trends, the survey results were better news for some groups than others. More than 14 percent of women have high cholesterol compared to 12.2 percent for men, the CDC said. Also, high total cholesterol is more prevalent in Hispanics, Ogden said. "Screening is less prevalent in that group than with whites, for example," he said.
The best ways to lower bad cholesterol? Some cholesterol drugs and pharmacy cholesterol lowering drugs have bad side effects. Try to avoid them, as there are many side effects. That’s why cholesterol information on how to do it with herbs and lower cholesterol naturally is important. Reducing cholesterol to a good cholesterol level is imperative.
Changing from an unhealthy diet to a healthy diet can reduce a cholesterol level. However, dietary changes alone rarely lower a cholesterol level enough to change a person's risk of cardiovascular disease from a high-risk category to a lower-risk category. However, any extra reduction in cholesterol due to diet will help.
An excellent cholesterol supplement that include many important natural ingredients is Cholesterol Complete™ (click here to view). It’s a powerful all-natural formula that targets both types of cholesterol; LDL (low density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein). LDL is the cholesterol you should be most concerned with, it is the “bad” cholesterol that clogs arteries and raises blood pressure. HDL is the “good” cholesterol that helps remove LDL from the body. You’re supporting healthy cholesterol with 100% natural approach!