Thursday, July 3, 2008

Blood Cholesterol Congestive Heart Disease CHD



Blood cholesterol and congestive heart disease (CHD)

Congestive heart disease (CHD) or congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs when the heart is unable to pump sufficient quantities of blood. Blood cholesterol level and high blood pressure is an important factor in determining risk of congestive heart disease. Excessive cholesterol in the blood causes plaque build-up in the arteries leading to atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries). This causes arteries to narrow and block blood flow to the heart. Deprivation of oxygen-rich blood to the heart can cause congestive heart disease or congestive heart failure

Symptoms of Congestive heart disease:

  • Chest pain (angina or angina pectoris)

  • Fluid retention which show as swelling in legs or gaining weight of more than 5 pounds in a week

  • Laborious breathing

  • Heart attacks (myocardial infarction)

  • According to the American Heart Association, more than 36 million adults in the USA have cholesterol levels of 240mg/dL or higher which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Cholesterol is obtained both from food and is also generated in the liver. It helps make cell membranes, hormones and Vitamin D. To allow cholesterol to travel through blood, it gets coated with a layer of protein and thereby a lipoprotein is created. There are two types of lipoprotiens - LDL (low density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein) also known as bad and good cholesterol respectively. High levels of LDL cause cholesterol build-up in the arteries while the HDL helps to remove it and prevents fatty buildup.

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