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Cholesterol |
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| KNOW YOUR HEART |
The heart is a muscular, hollow organ about the size of your fist. The heart functions as a mechanical pump that beats throughout one's life and
continues to supply blood to all the parts of the body. RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY In order to perform this job of pumping blood, the, heart, like all other organs of the body, must be nourished with oxygen and other nutrients. The heart muscle receives these nutrients from the blood being carried to it by specialised blood vessels called the CORONARY ARTERIES.
There are two major coronary arteries. The RIGHT CORONARY ARTERY and the LEFT CORONARY ARTERY. The coronary arteries which supply blood rich in oxygen and other nutrients, must be open for blood to reach all areas of the heart.
The amount of oxygen and other nutrients required by the heart muscle will vary with the activity of the heart. When your heart is pumping faster, e.g. when you are exercising, climbing stairs, running, etc., the oxygen demand of the heart will increase. To meet this increased demand, the blood flow to the heart muscle will also increase, provided your coronary arteries are normal. |
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| WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL? |
| Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in animal fats, oils, milk, yolk of egg, liver and kidneys. Cholesterol is also manufactured by your liver. Cholesterol in the right quantity is not harmful to the body. In fact it has many vital functions in the body. |
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| WHEN DOES CHOLESTEROL BECOME YOUR ENEMY? |
While we need some fat in the body, the problem arises from TOO MUCH OF THE WRONG KIND OF FAT.
The cholesterol in our body is in many forms. `HDL' cholesterol is the "good - friendly" cholesterol which prevents hardening of arteries and thus protects your heart. It removes excess of cholesterol from the blood before it can deposit on artery walls. `LDL' cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol, as it narrows blood vessels and damages your heart. For a healthy heart it is desirable to have a blood LDL to HDL ratio of 2 :1. |
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| CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE |
| Coronary artery disease (CAD) is by far the single largest killer disease in the world. This disease occurs due to the blockage of coronary arteries. |
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| NORMAL ARTERY |
CHOLESTEROL DEPOSITS |
The process which usually causes blockage of the coronary arteries is called atherosclerosis, meaning hardening of arteries.
Hardening is a natural phenomenon, which progresses slowly as the age advances. The hardening occurs mainly due to the deposition of CHOLESTEROL in the walls of blood vessels. Deposition of cholesterol will narrow the passage available for the blood to flow, similar to the way in which lime deposits form and block a water pipe.
Because of the narrowing of the coronary arteries, the supply of oxygen to the heart cannot increase when you are exerting more than normal, like exercising or running. In such a situation, the blood
flow may not be able to match the increased demand of oxygen by the heart. |
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| WHAT CAN YOU DO? |
The secret of a healthy heart ultimately boils down to controlling the whims and fancies of one's taste buds. In patients with increased cholesterol levels, diet modification should aim at reducing intake of SATURATED FATS and CHOLESTEROL and to eliminate excess calories.
SATURATED FATS obtained from food raise cholesterol levels and are harmful, whereas POLYUNSATURATED FATS are beneficial since they lower the body cholesterol. MONOUNSATURATED FATS do not alter the cholesterol levels in the body. Foods obtained from animal origin such as fatty meat, organ meats, egg yolk, etc., are rich in saturated fats. You should therefore keep away from such food items. |
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| IF DIETARY RESTRICTIONS FAIL? |
Diet alone can lower the total cholesterol level by 10 - 40%. However, in patients with very high cholesterol levels, diet modification alone may not be adequate. Various drugs are available which can reduce LDL-cholesterol (harmful) and increase HDL cholesterol (helpful) levels. Your physician will be the best person to guide you in this respect.
However, you should remember that dietary control is the first step and perhaps the simplest approach towards a HEALTHY
HEART. |
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