20% of the cholesterol we have in our blood comes from food and 80% is self-produced by the body. Transported in the blood by LDL (bad) and HDL (good) lipoproteins, it carries out many important functions for our body, including the synthesis of male sexual hormones.
Why are LDL lipoproteins considered bad while HDL are good?
Because LDL fixes cholesterol to the walls of the arteries while HDL removes it.
Its total level in the blood allows us to calculate the real cardiovascular risk index (CRF). This index is in fact defined by the ratio between total cholesterol and HDL. The values of this index should be less than 5 in men and 4.5 in women. From this it can be deduced that it is neither sufficient nor necessary to rely on the individual values of the quantities of LDL and HDL to define whether one is at risk, but rather the CRI must be calculated. Let's remember that atherosclerosis and its complications (heart attack, stroke) are a slow-growing pathology and that we need to act preventively!
Triglycerides, on the other hand, are the most common form of dietary fat. If their blood value exceeds 150mg/dl, cardiovascular risk increases.
To adequately lower cholesterol and triglyceride values it is important to lose weight and, in most cases, it is sufficient to follow a low-calorie diet and exercise.
Valentina Carlile - Osteopath expert in Osteopathy applied to voice and speech disorders since 2002. For information and reservations visit the page Contacts