by Mark Richardson, Keystone State News Connection
The American Heart Association is spearheading a critical initiative to educate Pennsylvanians about the silent risks posed by high levels of LDL cholesterol.
September has been Cholesterol Education Month, but doctors warn that year-round, high cholesterol levels are a major contributor to heart attacks and strokes.
High levels of low-density lipoproteins, or LDLs, can block arteries to both the heart and brain.
Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, a cardiologist, cardiovascular epidemiologist, and former American Heart Association president, said many people don’t know they have high cholesterol until it’s too late.
“You can’t feel your cholesterol level,” said Lloyd-Jones. “There’s only one way to know, and that is to directly measure it with a blood test. It is one of those things that’s truly silent, and unless you actively pursue measuring it, you’ll never know. It’s not something you can see, or taste or smell, or anything else.”
In Pennsylvania, heart disease is the leading cause of death, and stroke is the fourth-leading cause.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says together, these kill about 860,000 Americans each year, or about 20% of the total number of lives lost.
Lloyd-Jones, who is at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, said cholesterol levels are determined by a number of factors, including family history, diet, and age.
He said levels can — and should — be measured regularly with a simple blood test.
“We all inherit a set of genes — actually, a huge portfolio of genes — that determine the range in which our cholesterol levels tend to orbit,” said Lloyd-Jones. “Within that range, diet often can determine whether we’re at the high end of our range or at the low end of our range.”
Lloyd-Jones said such conditions as diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking can make cholesterol in the bloodstream even more potent at causing plaque, which clogs and narrows the blood vessels.
He said statins and other drugs can help people manage their cholesterol levels.
“We shouldn’t mess around with this,” he insisted. “People should know their numbers, and if they’re inappropriately elevated for their situation, they should work with their doctor to figure out how they’re going to lower their numbers, particularly that LDL or bad cholesterol.”
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Source: bctv