Cholesterol and Obesity

There is a direct correlation between obesity and irregular cholesterol levels. Obesity is known to be an aggravating factor in disorderly lipid metabolism. There is an increase in LDL cholesterol levels and decrease in HDL cholesterol levels. This has a deleterious effect on the heart's health, particularly for those obese individuals that already have a history of coronary heart disease. Since obesity is also a causative agent of conditions such as diabetes and hypertension which impact cholesterol metabolism, it can safely be said that every effort should be made to fight obesity. It has been found that even minor effort made to lose weight has a beneficial effect on the heart and can reduce cholesterol levels.

Bariatric surgery to control cholesterol levels

Bariatric surgery is carried out to reduce weight substantially and to sustain the lowered body weight. By simply losing weight through bariatric surgery and the accompanying lifestyle changes, one can turn back the clock on several potentially deadly conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Within a few months of gastric bypass surgery, patients have been shown to have almost normal cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The loss of weight reduces the load on the heart, its performance improves, the redress of cholesterol imbalance helps clear plaque and brings down risks associated with cholesterol deposits in the arteries.
It can safely be said that laparoscopic bariatric surgery results in improved lipid profiles in even morbidly obese individuals. The improvements can occur as early as three months postoperatively. There is a big benefit in terms of reduction of health risks related to high concentrations of atherogenic lipoproteins.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a chemical compound composed of fat and steroid. It is a structural component of cell membranes and is transported via the blood plasma. It also finds use in the manufacture of bile acids, hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, cortisone, aldosterone and testosterone, and a number of fat-soluble vitamins. The liver is the main organ for producing cholesterol in the body. Dietary cholesterol is obtained from food products such as meat and dairy items. Organ meats are particularly rich in cholesterol. The liver produces cholesterol by processing sugars and saturated fats. Cholesterol levels are also raised because of certain health conditions; these include diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism, and liver disease.

HDL and LDL

High density lipoprotein (HDL) and Low density lipoprotein (LDL) bind cholesterol and enable its transport through the blood stream. Cholesterol linked to HDL is considered "good cholesterol" because it is believed that HDL can remove plaque from within the artery walls and carry the cholesterol back to the liver for reprocessing. It thus helps to lower the risk of heart disease.

Dietary and lifestyle changes that can help raise HDL levels include -

Diet and heredity play an important role in deciding the level of LDL in a person's blood stream. LDL is manufactured and released by the liver. LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells enable the organ to remove LDL from the blood. LDL transports cholesterol to within the artery walls where it stays and forms plaques. This is the reason why LDL cholesterol has been termed "bad cholesterol". LDL is linked to heart disease and atherosclerosis and lowering the amount of LDL is crucial for healthy living. The benefits of low LDL include –

How to lower LDL cholesterol?

Lifestyle changes are the primary method to control LDL levels. These include following a diet low in saturated fat and countering lifestyle-related risk factors such as obesity and inactivity. It is possible that along with lifestyle changes you may have to take medications to lower LDL cholesterol. Depending upon an individual's profile, he may be prescribed medicine such as statins, resins, fibrates, or nicotinic acid. Medicines work to reducing triglycerides and increasing HDL thereby improving heart health and cutting down the risk of stroke.

Cholesterol and diet

We should work steadily to reduce cholesterol in our diets; even outwardly healthy individuals can have clogged arteries and high levels of LDL cholesterol. The condition is also not very age-dependent. If anything, increasingly younger people are falling prey to cholesterol-related heart conditions. Learn about foods that help lower cholesterol levels and incorporate them in your diet. Eliminate food items that contain trans fatty acids and saturated fats.

Ideally, no more than 30% of your daily calorie intake should come from fats and saturated fats, the ones that remain solid at room temperature, should be avoided as far as possible. Replace these with monounsaturated fats obtained from plant oils such as olive, canola, and peanut oil and polyunsaturated fats found in plant oils such as safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oil. Reduce sodium intake. Read the labels on food packages, these will inform you on the nutrient breakdown of the product.

Here are some food items that play an important role in lowering cholesterol levels and protecting the heart.

• Foods containing soluble fiber – Oatmeal, oat bran and food items that contain soluble fiber help in reducing LDL. As little as five to ten grams of soluble fiber in the diet reduces the absorption of LDL cholesterol into the blood stream.
• Fish – Fish contain omega-3 fatty acids. These regulate blood pressure and lower the risk of developing clots. Mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines are some fish types known to be rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Nuts – Nuts such as walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and almonds are rich in poly unsaturated fatty acids that keep the blood vessels in good shape. You should ensure that the nuts aren't overly processed and are not coated with sugar or salt.
• Olive oil – Olive oil contains a mix of antioxidants that help reduce LDL but do not touch HDL.

Your diet and lifestyle changes should take into account the extent of risk that you are exposed to. Your weight, age, gender, previous history of heart condition, are factors that decide the kind of LDL levels you should target.

Cholesterol and ailments

Depending upon the extent of blockage and blood vessels blocked, cholesterol can increase the risk of various ailments.

Coronary heart disease is a serious ailment that gets exacerbated by high cholesterol. A high level of cholesterol in the arteries leads to a hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). The arteries get narrowed down and the blood flow to the heart is obstructed. Reduced blood flow can lead to chest pains or worse – heart attack. If blood vessels that supply oxygenated blood to the brain are blocked, it can lead to a cerebral stroke. Peripheral vascular disease is another possibility in which fatty deposits build up in arteries that nourish the hands and feet.

It has been shown that diabetics are at greater risk from cholesterol-related heart disease. A person with diabetes is more likely to have cholesterol abnormalities. In a condition known as diabetic dyslipidemia the HDL or "good" cholesterol numbers are lowered whereas there is an increase in LDL and triglycerides, both of which are known to harm the heart.

High blood pressure results when the heart has to pump harder than normal to get the blood to pass through narrowed arteries. The strain on the heart can be its undoing. Men with a high ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol are at a higher risk of acquiring hypertension.

Morbid Obesity and Elevated Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in all parts of the body. High cholesterol can be harmful and is associated with serious health conditions. You may want to compare bariatric surgery's high improvement rates for this condition to the long-term effects of high cholesterol.

People with high cholesterol are at risk for developing: