Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : September 4, 2018 10:44 AM IST
Cholesterol is just one of the many factors that increases risk of heart diseases. © Shutterstock
This doesn t mean that we are saying aloud that you can be ignorant about cholesterol. You still need to keep a tab on your cholesterol readings. Remember high cholesterol is one of the risk factors of cardiovascular disease and can also up one s chances of suffering from a heart attack or stroke. But cholesterol is just one of the many risk factors that influence heart health. There are other risk factors that are detrimental to heart health. So, just by lowering cholesterol you might not be able to prevent heart diseases unless you are actively taking steps to curb the other risk factors too. Some people keep popping cholesterol-lowering drugs to keep their numbers in check but fail to adhere to a lifestyle that will boost heart health and longevity. This is why even after taking medications, it backfires. We spoke to Dr Samir Kubba, Principal Consultant, Max Institute of Cardiac Sciences, Max Hospital to know why even after taking cholesterol medication one might not be able to sheath the heart from various diseases.
In some cases, your doctor may prescribe medication to improve your cholesterol level. But know that multiple factors besides cholesterol contribute to heart disease. Some of which are diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and genetics. Because so many factors contribute to heart disease, cholesterol isn't everything. People with normal HDL cholesterol can also have heart disease. However, it is a general observation that people who have low HDL cholesterol will have a greater risk of developing heart diseases than people with high HDL levels, he says. He also advised that apart from popping cholesterol-lowering pills which also have side-effects it is necessary to bring down the other risk factors like high blood sugar, high blood pressure, etc. Taking care of your heart is never going to be a unidirectional approach.
If you have high cholesterol levels doctors recommend follow-up cholesterol testing every five years for most people. People with abnormal lipid profiles or who have other risk factors may need more frequent cholesterol tests. If you have high cholesterol or low HDL levels, take the right steps to increase HDL or good cholesterol. Some of the simple yet effective ways are eating the right foods, exercising regularly, kicking the butt, etc. These lifestyle changes can make a big difference for most people and may prevent heart disease and stroke.
