High levels of bad cholesterol can be harmful to your health and cause serious illness.
Cholesterol is a type of fat found in the human body. Most often, this substance is presented to people as something harmful to the body, but it also has very important functions. “We know it [o colesterol] it is beneficial for some vital functions and plays a fundamental role in the construction and maintenance of cell membranes,” explains cardiologist Allan Cembranel.
Damage caused by excess cholesterol
While it is important for the body, excess cholesterol can be very harmful, as it is a risk factor for many cardiovascular disease🇧🇷 High levels of this fat are responsible for the development of atherosclerosis, a problem that mainly affects the arteries of the heart and brain, causing heart attack and stroke respectively.
“The development of these diseases occurs in an insidious, progressive way, with cholesterol depositing on the walls of the arteries and consequent clogging, preventing the passage of blood and destroying the tissue”, warns Ranieri Carvalho Leitão, cardiologist at the Silvestre Adventist Hospital.
Cardiologist Adalberto Lorga Filho, in turn, explains that the biggest problem of high cholesterol levels, in relation to cardiac arrhythmias, is to predispose and increase the onset of myocardial infarction, which often leads to serious cardiac arrhythmias. “Thus, from a clinical and preventive point of view, by keeping blood cholesterol levels low, we indirectly reduce the occurrence of cardiac arrhythmias,” he says.
Ttypes of cholesterol
To better understand cholesterol levels and when it becomes harmful to the body, it is important to know that there are different types of cholesterol in the blood. Therefore, the set of all of them is what is called “total cholesterol”.
Furthermore, the cholesterol it’s a kind of fat, and just as fats don’t mix with liquids, cholesterol doesn’t mix with blood. “Therefore, it needs to join certain proteins to perform its functions, forming so-called lipoproteins (substances composed of lipids – fats – and proteins). These lipoproteins move throughout the body in the bloodstream, in two main ways: HDL and LDL,” clarifies Dr. Allan Cembranel.
LDL extension and HDL
The cardiologist and owner of Spa Sorocaba, Manoel Carlos Castanho, explains that LDL cholesterol means “Low Density Lipoprotein”, that is, it is a low density lipoprotein and its characteristic is that it contains more fat and less protein. The function of LDL is to transport cholesterol to peripheral tissues.
HDL cholesterol stands for “high-density lipoprotein”, that is, it is a high-density lipoprotein. This has more protein and less fat, and its function is to transport cholesterol from the tissues to the liver and then expel it.
Differences between they
Scientific studies show that HDL, known as good cholesterol, helps remove fat molecules from cells and allows them to be excreted from the body. “LDL cholesterol does just the opposite, fixing these molecules by Fat inside the cells, causing the formation of free radicals, which are harmful to the body and accelerate the aging of the body”, differentiates Allan Cembranel.
Cardiologist Ranieri Carvalho Leitão adds that LDL is modified and deposited on artery walls, thus contributing to the development of atherosclerosis, while HDL removes LDL from the bloodstream.
🇧🇷The best content in your email for free. Choose your favorite Terra newsletter. Click here!
Source: Terra
Benjamin Smith is a fashion journalist and author at Gossipify, known for his coverage of the latest fashion trends and industry insights. He writes about clothing, shoes, accessories, and runway shows, providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives. He’s respected for his ability to spot emerging designers and trends, and for providing practical fashion advice to readers.
