Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : February 18, 2021 10:59 AM IST
If you have high blood cholesterol, you are at risk of getting heart attack or stroke.
High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, also called "bad" cholesterol, is associated with many health problems, including heart attack or stroke. Too much cholesterol can clog blood vessels and reduce blood flow through your arteries. Eventually, this can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Cholesterol-lowering medications such as statins are recommended to reduce blood cholesterol levels and prevent such cardiovascular event. But following healthy lifestyle practices, which include regular exercise, a healthy diet, lower alcohol intake, and maintaining your weight, is also known to help improve cholesterol profiles by lowering bad cholesterol and increasing "healthy" high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. What if you combine these two remedies? This is actually the best way keep your cholesterol levels in check and reduce your chances of getting heart disease, said a new study.
The study, published in the journal eLife, is perhaps the first study to compare the lipid-lowering effects of cholesterol-lowering medications and healthy lifestyle interventions side by side, according to lead author Jiahui Si, from Harvard University in the US.
For the study, the researchers examined blood samples from 4,681 participants, including cases of stroke, coronary heart disease and healthy individuals. They compared the lipid markers in the blood of participants who had multiple healthy lifestyle habits to those of participants with less healthy habits. They found many lipid markers associated with healthy lifestyle practices that led to a significant reduction (14%) in the risk of heart disease.
Specifically, healthy lifestyle was associated with very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and HDL levels in the blood.
Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that cholesterol-lowering drugs combined with healthy behaviours would help individuals at risk of heart disease to achieve the greatest heart-protecting benefits.
High consumption of food high in saturated fat: Too much saturated fat from food can increase the levels of bad cholesterol in your blood while lowering good cholesterol levels. Foods that contain high saturated fat include beef, pork, lamb, butter, cream, milk, cheese, and yogurt, as well as palm and coconut oil.
Too much trans fats in your diet: Eating a lot of trans fats that are found in fried foods, pastries, pizza dough, doughnuts, muffins, cookies, crackers, and many pre-packaged foods can also raise your cholesterol levels.
However, not all fats are bad. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats which are found in salmon, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts, and vegetable oils like safflower, canola, sunflower and olive oil are healthier fats. Having said so, you should limit your daily calories from any kind of fat to 30 percent.
Not eating enough fibre-rich food: Fibre is good for your heart health, especially the soluble one can help lower your LDL levels. Not eating enough fibre can also affect your cholesterol levels. To increase your intake of fibre and prevent heart disease, add more of these foods to your diet: oats, peas, beans, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, barley, lentils, fruits and vegetables.
Drinking too much alcohol: Excessive drinking is one of the risk factors for unhealthy cholesterol levels. Limit your alcohol intake to no more than two drinks per day for men, or one drink for women.
Smoking: Studies have shown that smoking can both increase "bad" cholesterol levels and cause decline in "good" cholesterol levels. Smoking is considered as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. So, quit smoking to keep heart disease at bay.
Ignoring existing medical conditions: Several medical issues including high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and hypothyroidism can also lead to increase in blood cholesterol levels. It is therefore important to manage these health conditions, if you have one, to reduce your risk of heart disease.
With inputs from IANS
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