Mas Yus Health. Under normal conditions cholesterol is a fat (lipid) produced by the liver and is essential for body functions. Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including brain, nerve, muscle, skin, liver, intestine, and heart. Under normal conditions cholesterol also serves as the builder and guardian of the cell membrane, filtering out the incoming molecule and not into the cell, involved in the production of sex hormones, helps produce bile.
But if someone has too much cholesterol in the bloodstream, the excess can be stored in the arteries, including coronary artery heart, arteries to the brain, and arteries that supply blood to the leg. Therefore not a disease of high cholesterol, but has the potential of developing the disease.
Clogged arteries in the legs cause claudication (pain when walking) due to peripheral arterial disease. Blockage of the carotid arteries can cause strokes, and blockage of coronary arteries causes angina (chest pain) and heart attacks.
Cholesterol levels in the body can be measured with a blood test. If the blood test results showed the following results:
Total Cholesterol
<200 mg/dl----- - ideal
200-239 mg/dl--- high risk threshold
240 <-------------- high risk
Causes of high cholesterol among others due to heredity, weight, physical activity, age and sex, alcohol, smoking, and mental distress.
Signs and Symptoms
High cholesterol does not cause specific symptoms. Symptoms occur when a high cholesterol lead to diseases such as heart disease, stroke, blood vessel blockage.
Prevention
Some ways to make prevention of high cholesterol is to consult a doctor regularly, eat fruits and vegetables are low in cholesterol, getting enough sleep, avoiding alcohol and cigarettes. In short, get used to living healthy.
