High Cholesterol
The standard definition of high cholesterol is having an excess of cholesterol in the blood, usually more than 200 mg/dl,
although many doctors are now citing 180 mg/dl as the maximum of the reference range.
The reason you have "high cholesterol" is probably because you hae eaten too much saturated fat (from animals) over
the years. Some people, however, have an inherited type of high cholesterol. For more information on familial
hypercholesterolemia please see the conventional diagnosis section.
Clinical high cholesterol is usually found in the blood values on a annual check-up. No signs or symptoms may
be present even with life threatening atherosclerotic disease. This diagnosis may be a result of a life of poor eating
habits, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excessive drinking, etc. You may be experiencing angina, hypertension, or kidney
disease as well as the elevated blood lipids. Even though it's quite likely you can control your high cholesterol with
some basic dietary changes, there are some other disease problems which can cause this syndrome. Make sure your
doctor has discussed the "rule-outs" with you; in other words make sure your high cholesterol is NOT
because of:
- von Gierke's disease
- "sluggish" liver syndrome
- hypothyroidism
- pregnancy
- pancreatic dysfunction
- nephrosis
In industrial countries, people who are apparently symptom-free may suddenly have a massive MI (myocardial
infarction, or heart attack). It may be the first indicator of disease. Therefore yearly cholesterol screens are highly
recommended. Hypercholesterolemia in Western countries seems well-linked to significant morbidity (hypertension,
angina) and mortality (MI, CVA or cerebral vascular accident, which usually refers to stroke). It is estimated that half
the population in the U.S. will die from Congestive Heart Disease (CHD) and the results of atherosclerosis. Coronary
bypass surgery is one of the most common operations now performed, even though it carries inherent risks and research
has shown that its effect is generally transient, with patients often experiencing repeat symptoms only 2-3 years
post-surgery. Chelation therapy offers some hope, but it remains controversial and only a few physicians have
adequate training to perform this technique. New research suggests that prevention and natural treatment offer
the healthiest, most lasting and least costly route to recovery.
Cholesterol levels have become the source of much national fear, even though cholesterol is one of the most
valuable substances in the human body. Cholesterol is needed for strong cell walls, as a precursor for hormone
production, and as a coating around nerves, to name just a few of its very important functions. Cholesterol is made
in the liver in amounts up to 2000 mg/day. Cholesterol associated with high density lipoprotein, HDL (and
Apolipoprotein A-1), is generally considered to be beneficial to the body, as it works to remove cholesterol from
blood vessel walls and the the blood itself, bringing it to the liver for processing and excretion. Cholesterol associated
with the low density lipoprotein, LDL (and Apolipoprotein B), is generally thought to be harmful to the body as it carries
cholesterol into the bloodstream and can therefore place it into the intima of the arterial walls, promoting
atherosclerotic processes. Very low density lipoproteins, VLDLs, become LDLs in the liver and are therefore also
generally thought to be harmful.