You probably know the drill — if you visit your doctor for your annual wellness exam, one of the topics you’ll cover is likely your cholesterol level. You’ll probably need to get blood work done so you can learn more about it.
Having high cholesterol puts you at risk for serious conditions, including stroke, but what about heart disease? We delve into that question here.
Whether you need help treating and managing high cholesterol or another health problem, Dr. Gurprit Sekhon and her team at Nu Wave Medical Center are eager to help. Dr. Sekhon’s experience, expertise, and compassion combine to make you feel truly cared for. She also considers herself your partner in care, and looks forward to working together to oversee and improve your health.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that your liver produces, and it serves several important functions. It helps your body make cell membranes, essential vitamin D, hormones, and substances that assist with your digestive processes.
Fortunately, your body makes all the cholesterol you need, but problems arise with developing unhealthy cholesterol levels because certain foods also contain a lot of cholesterol — think red meat, processed meats like deli, full-fat dairy foods, fried foods, butter, and tropical oils, like palm and coconut oil.
It’s important to know, though, that your cholesterol results list three numbers that represent HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol, sometimes termed “bad cholesterol,” is dubbed that because high levels cause plaque to accumulate on the walls of your arteries. Plaque is made of fatty substances, calcium, fibrin (a protein we produce when we bleed and the primary substance of blood clots), and cellular waste products. As it builds up, plaque stiffens, hardens, and thickens your artery walls — not good because it impedes blood flow and puts you at risk for a blood clot and stroke.
HDL cholesterol is thought of as the helpful type of cholesterol because it carries surplus cholesterol from your body to your liver for elimination.
VLDL cholesterol, like LDL, isn’t good for your health, because it, too, causes arterial plaque accumulation. Not only does VLDL contain cholesterol, it also contains another type of fat — triglycerides.
Having high LDL and VLDL cholesterol does put you at risk for heart disease, since the dangerous build-up of plaque in your arteries hinders blood flow to your heart, as well as other organs. You can’t tell when you’re developing high cholesterol because you don’t feel or notice any symptoms, so it’s important to get your cholesterol tested when you visit Dr. Sekhon.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, so it’s a good idea to have regular conversations with Dr. Sekhon about your cholesterol levels. She orders a lipids panel — part of a complete work-up — to learn what those levels are.
When you get your lipids profile results, you’ll notice that your cholesterol levels are listed in a particular way. They’re measured as milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood (mg/dL).
What do healthy cholesterol numbers look like? These numbers give you an idea:
If your cholesterol falls within those ranges, you’re doing great. If they don’t, however, there are steps you and Dr. Sekhon can take to make things right.
These include self-care strategies like eating better and exercising more, which can work wonders to improve your numbers.
You want to focus on eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, high-fiber foods like oatmeal and legumes, and engaging in more physical activity each day. You can take a walk, swim, ride your bike, hike, or get involved with a team sport. Even housework and gardening count, so get out your vacuum and spade!
Dietary changes can help reduce your LDL cholesterol, while exercise can make your HDL climb.
If you struggle with your weight even after making dietary changes, Nu Wave offers a safe, effective medical weight loss program. With medical supervision and critical support, you can shed pounds in a healthy way — and improve your cholesterol.
Dr. Sekhon can also prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications, if necessary.
Give your heart some TLC this month — American Heart Month — and take control of your cholesterol and your health. With our help, you’ll know you’re doing all you can to best support your heart health.
Call our Panama City Beach office at 850-493-6948 to schedule an appointment and discuss your cholesterol with Dr. Sekhon.
