Can your Lipid levels Indicat e Heart Health? Lipid levels are a reflection of heart Health... controlled the levels healthier the heart!!

Lipids are are fat-like substances that are essential for our body. As they help in building new cells, producing chemicals messengers (hormones) and also in protecting the body. They include cholesterol and triglycerides.

Cholesterol is produced by our liver and also obtained from foods like milk, eggs and meat. Calories when not in use are converted by body to triglycerides and are stored in fat cells. As it is said, too much of anything is bad! Despite their advantages, too much of cholesterol or triglycerides are bad for health.

There are four main parameters of Lipids that are checked for:

• HDL- They are known as ‘Good Cholesterol’ since it helps in clearing the the cholesterol present in the blood stream, thereby preventing blockage. High levels of HDL are beneficial while lowered levels are seen to be associated with increased triglycerides and LDL levels.
• LDL- They are called ‘Bad Cholesterol’, as they accumulate to cause blockage in blood streams. Hence higher LDL levels may block the normal blood flow which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Total cholesterol-It is the sum of all cholesterol content and indicates the overall risk of heart problems.
• Trigylcerides- High triglycerides may contribute in hardening the walls of blood vessels which increases risk of stroke and heart attacks. Hence higher levels of triglycerides are bad for the heart.

You should better get a cholesterol test done if you are-

• Overweight
• Physically inactive
• Diabetic
• Eating a high-fat diet
• Smoker

Also peoples with family history of high cholesterol or heart attacks, or men who are older than 45 and women older than 55 should follow regular checkups for monitoring cholesterol levels.

A less of fat ... A more to life!