Cholesterol too high - what now?
Atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke - high cholesterol is considered dangerous. That scares. Anyone can meet us: Especially from the age of 45, the risk of an elevated cholesterol level in women increases significantly. The reason for this is the conversion of the hormones. The decline in estrogen levels affects lipid metabolism unfavorably, and the vasoprotective effect of female hormones diminishes at the onset of menopause. The risk of cardiovascular diseases is skyrocketing. That's a fact.
If the cholesterol is too high, it does not mean an infarct
To assign cholesterol all-inclusive the rogue role is in any case wrong.
Nevertheless, a high cholesterol level in the health check does not automatically mean the same risk of infarction. Therefore, first of all, keep calm. The fact is, the cholesterol level varies by as much as ten percent. With a check in a few weeks he may be back to normal. In addition, a slightly higher value is sometimes even a good sign. Because the total cholesterol consists of several subunits, which can not only negatively, but also positively affect the risk of arteriosclerosis. Thus, the "good" HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) ensures that excess cholesterol is transported from the blood vessels into the liver and degraded there. Only the "bad" LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) deposits on the walls of the vessels and narrows them.
"At a cholesterol level of 250, most people are restless," says the Ravensburg laboratory doctor and fat metabolism expert. Dietmar Plonné.
"A slightly higher figure in women is often due to the fact that they have a lot of 'good' HDL cholesterol, especially in the borderline between 200 and 250 you should not go crazy first, but wait and see what the more accurate laboratory tests. However: even more elevated values can not be explained, they are definitely in the pathological area. " And should be urgently controlled, especially after menopause.
However, a value for total cholesterol alone does not say much. This also applies to the cholesterol tests to do it yourself from the pharmacy, for which you have to pay 15 to 20 euros out of pocket. If the value is low, normally everything is fine. But if the values are too high, blood tests at the doctor have to determine an exact "lipid profile". By default, these include the values for LDL and HDL cholesterol. In addition, the amount of triglycerides, another fat in the blood, is measured.
To assign cholesterol all-inclusive the rogue role is in any case wrong. After all, our body needs this fat to stay healthy. He is present in each of our cells. The organism produces important parts of the nervous system, bile acids for digestion and vital hormones such as cortisol, testosterone and estrogen. Last but not least, cholesterol is a precursor of vitamin D. Very low cholesterol levels are even considered a risk factor for depression and memory disorders in women.
Most of the cholesterol the body needs is made in the liver and intestine itself. Only a small portion comes directly from animal foods. That's why you should not expect any miracles if you consistently omit all animal fats and eggs from the diet when eating: With a strict diet alone, the cholesterol level can usually only be lowered by about eight percent. Although yolk contains relatively high levels of cholesterol, a number of studies in recent years have shown that one to two eggs per day do not negatively impact cholesterol.
In general, many experts today consider the cholesterol value to be overrated. Lowering a single lab value, perhaps even with medication, does not necessarily make sense. Critical physicians call it "laboratory cosmetics." Because the risk of getting heart disease depends on a whole range of different factors. And there the cholesterol in the blood is only a mosaic stone. In addition, a risk of high total cholesterol levels was clearly demonstrated only in younger men. In women - whether before or after menopause - this relationship is far from proving so well.
More crucial than the cholesterol level is the lifestyle altogether
Almost half of all Infarktopfer even has completely normal cholesterol levels. Much more crucial for cardiovascular health is the lifestyle as a whole. Very impressive was a large American study of almost 85,000 women. Do not smoke, drink alcohol moderately (about one small glass per day), a body mass index below 25 *, move daily for half an hour and nourish healthy: women who took this note, lowered their risk of calcification of the coronary arteries in the study by an impressive 75 percent.
Only physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk by 20 percent, as Professor Martin Halle, President of the German Association for the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Cardiovascular Diseases e.V. (DGPR), emphasizes. "Good are endurance sports," said the Munich Preventive Medicine. "It stimulates the metabolism, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and strengthens the immune system, so sports - in addition to nutrition - is an important building block to live longer." With such a lifestyle, one can also see individual laboratory values that (sometimes) dance out of line with the appropriate serenity.
Vascular health
? Less animal fats and saturated fatty acids: better instead of butter, sausage, palm kernel fat and cocoa butter lean meat, fish, low-fat milk and dairy products? Less so-called trans fatty acids from ready meals, crisps, packaged pastries? More vegetable fats and unsaturated fatty acids: eg. Olive oil, cereal germs, margarine? More polyunsaturated fatty acids: best omega-6 fatty acids (in sunflower seeds, thistle and corn oil, fish) and omega-3 fatty acids (in walnuts, rapeseed and linseed oil, cold water fish) in the ratio 5: 1? Lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other high-fiber foods? If the LDL level is increased, foods enriched with plant sterols (accompanying substances of vegetable fats) may be present. Important: a maximum of two to three grams of these plant substances (equivalent to eg three coated tablespoons of margarine) a day; Observe interactions with cholesterol-lowering drugs
Your cholesterol is too high? Which values are normal?
The average cholesterol level varies from country to country, and it varies between men and women and increases with age. In Germany, it is 236 mg / dl (milligrams per deciliter) or 6.1 mmol / l (millimoles per liter) in 35- to 65-year-olds - according to the prevailing strict limits, quite a few people have "abnormal" values.
As a rough guide to limits:
? Total Cholesterol Good: Less than 200 mg / dL (5.2 mmol / L) Tolerant: Up to 240 mg / dL (6.2 mmol / L) Too High: Above 240 mg / dL (6.2 mmol / L)
? LDL cholesterol The limits are graded according to individual risk. People with many additional risk factors (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, hereditary burden, postmenopausal women, severe overweight, low HDL cholesterol): less than 70 mg / dl (1.8 mmol / l) people with few risk factors: lower 100 mg / dl (2.6 mmol / l) humans without risk factors: below 130 mg / dl (3.4 mmol / l)
? HDL cholesterol Optimal: above 60 mg / dL (1.5 mmol / l) More important than the absolute values, however, is the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol. Optimal: LDL divided by HDL = less than three
You can determine the total cholesterol every two years from the age of 35 by the family doctor at check-up 35. With known high levels, or if there are risk factors, more frequent controls may be necessary. If the level of total cholesterol is borderline (200 to 240 mg / dl), additional HDL and LDL cholesterol should be determined. Only then can the doctor correctly estimate the value. More information: www.lipid-liga.de. Tests for the personal risk of myocardial infarction or stroke based on the long-term PROCAM study at www.assmann-Stiftung.de
* Body Mass Index (BMI, kg / m2) = weight (kg) / height (m) 2, to be calculated using the BMI calculator from ChroniquesDuVasteMonde.com
