Think you need drugs to lower your risk of heart disease?
Think again. If you believe that cholesterol causes heart
disease, you're not alone. For years, you've read and
watched news stories stating -- and even been told by your
doctor -- that this is a fact.
But there's a lot more to the story.
The truth is, cholesterol is just one risk factor for heart
disease. And it's not even the most important one. You see,
cholesterol isn't all bad. In fact, you'd die without it.
This fatty substance produced by the liver helps keep your
body running smoothly by building cell membranes and
maintaining hormone levels. Even more surprising, lowering
cholesterol doesn't necessarily improve health.
Research has even linked LOW levels of cholesterol to a
higher risk of death in older people. For some of us,
lowering cholesterol may do more harm than good, since
higher amounts of cholesterol may actually protect against
death.
When it comes to cholesterol, its role in heart disease
isn't the only myth. Here's another one: "A high-fat diet
causes cholesterol problems." Again, the truth is more
complicated than that. That's because the TYPE of fat you
consume matters much more than how MUCH of it you eat.
Trans fats or hydrogenated fats and saturated fats promote
abnormal cholesterol, while omega-3 fats and
monounsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol and improve
the type you do have. Fat isn't the bad guy here. Instead,
it's sugar. And your body turns sugar into fat.The biggest
source of abnormal cholesterol is not fat -- it's sugar,
which your body converts to fat.
One kind of sugar is worse than the others. That's
high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. You'll find HFCS in
sodas, many juices, and most processed foods. But HFCS
isn't so sweet: It's the main dietary cause of cholesterol
problems.
While we're on the subject of myths, let's talk about total
cholesterol. It is NOT the most critical aspect of
cholesterol. And lowering cholesterol may not be the
answer. That's because you want your HDL ("good")
cholesterol levels to be higher, not lower.
It turns out that many different facets of cholesterol make
a difference in your health. These include your levels of
HDL ("good") vs. LDL ("bad") cholesterol; your triglyceride
levels; your ratio of triglycerides to HDL; and your ratio
of total cholesterol to HDL. That's a lot of things to
consider -- but there's more.
When it comes to cholesterol and triglycerides, size
matters, too. In this case, bigger is better. Cholesterol
particles that are large and fluffy are generally safe,
even if you have high cholesterol. Smaller particles are
more dangerous because they can easily penetrate arteries.
Your cholesterol can also become rancid, or oxidized, which
can be unhealthy. Oxidative stress and free radicals can
trigger inflammation. And when small LDL particles become
rancid, they lead to plaque and cholesterol buildup in your
arteries.
So cholesterol isn't the only cause of cardiovascular
disease. And lowering cholesterol doesn't always make a
difference in your risk. Instead, cardiovascular problems
occur when your body functions get out of whack. The
result: Inflammation, blood sugar imbalances, and oxidative
stress. Simply put, your risk is determined by the way that
your genes interact with your lifestyle and environment.
These factors need to stay balanced, or your risk for heart
disease will increase. One major risk factor for heart
disease is inflammation.
In one major study, Harvard researchers found that people
with high levels of a marker called C-reactive protein
(CRP) had higher risks of heart disease than people with
high cholesterol. People who had lower cholesterol levels
didn't protect those with high CRP. The risks were greatest
for those with high levels of both CRP and cholesterol.
Insulin resistance (also called metabolic syndrome or
pre-diabetes) also increases the risk of heart disease, by
causing blood sugar imbalances and high levels of insulin.
High levels of a substance called homocysteine may also
lead to cardiovascular illness.
All of these conditions can lower cholesterol, but not the
way you'd like. The cholesterol that they lower is the good
kind -- and lowering that is bad! They also boost your
triglycerides, increasing inflammation and oxidative stress
-- and triggering cardiovascular disease. So what can you
do?
There is good news. These factors can arise from poor diet,
nutritional imbalances, stress, and lack of activity -- all
of which are under your control. Changing these factors
can help lower cholesterol, as well as other risks for
heart disease. But before you can start a comprehensive
program to lower your risk of heart disease, you need to
determine your overall risk. Ask your doctor about the
following tests.
* Total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. Your
total cholesterol should be under 200; triglycerides under
100; HDL over 60; LDL under 80. Your ratio of total
cholesterol to HDL should be less than 3.0. Your ratio of
triglycerides to HDL should be no greater than 4.
* NMR Lipid Profile. This looks at your cholesterol under
an MRI scan to assess the size of the particles.
* Cardio C-reactive protein. This should be less than 1.
* Homocysteine. Your homocysteine should be between 6 and 8.
* Lipid peroxides or TBARS test, which looks at the amount
of oxidized or rancid fat.
* Fibrinogen, which looks at blood clotting. It should be
less than 300.
* Lipoprotein (a), can promote the risk of heart disease,
often in men. It should be less than 30.
* Genes or SNPs including Apo E, cholesterol ester transfer
protein, and MTHFR genes.
* High-speed CT or (EBT) scan of the heart may be helpful.
Scores higher than 100 are a concern.
As you can see, cholesterol is important -- but it isn't
the most important risk for heart disease. Likewise,
lowering cholesterol isn't the only answer. By getting
tested, you'll get a better picture of your true heart
disease risk. Then you'll be ready to start lowering
cholesterol AND your other risk factors so you can improve
your health -- today.
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Co-founder of UltraWellness, Mark Hyman M.D., is a
respected medical consultant, New York Times bestselling
author, lecturer, practicing physician and leader in the
emerging field of functional medicine. To achieve lifelong
health and vitality, go to
http://www.UltraWellness.com/blog .
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