Sunday, 8 December 2013

What are lipoproteins, and what is lipoprotein testing?

Lipoproteins are closely related with cholesterol, but they are not the same thing. Lipoproteins are primarily responsible for carrying fats, and fatty substances like cholesterol and triglycerides.

The two main types of lipoprotein are HDL (high density lipoprotein) and LDL (low density lipoprotein). Furthermore, they can be categorised into two more types, VLDL (very low density lipoproteins) and Chylomicrons. HDL is also called the good cholesterol, and LDL is called bad cholesterol.

The reason behind this is the fact that HDL carries cholesterol out of the body, while on the other hand LLD carry it into it.

How can LDL be harmful?

There are two ways that cholesterol enters the body. You either consume it directly from fatty foods, or it is produced inside your body in the liver. This is why it is important to abstain from food with excessive amounts of cholesterol. It is important for the liver to produce its own, but the more cholesterol you consume directly, the lesser it will.

The liver absorbs fatty acids from your blood, for this, and produces LDL which is responsible for transporting cholesterol to the cells, which is utilise it to carry out their regular functions, like producing hormones, or enzymes. This is where cholesterol is important.

But LDL and VLDL, being low in density, can travel through the blood vessels. As mentioned above, they contain cholesterol, which they absorb from the blood stream. When LDL‘s travel through the blood vessels, they deposit cholesterol inside the walls. This takes the form of plaque, which gets in the way of blood flow and acts as blockage.

What is lipoprotein testing?

These are tests, like blood tests that are used to measure the levels of lipids inside the body in relation to the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides.

The ideal amount is fixed as per a person’s body size, and type. It is important to know if you have more or less lipoproteins than you need. If you have more, the doctors, can recommend a certain treatment. The diet may have to be changed, for a more balanced one. Also, an exercise regime that is meant to keep the body fit and the blood regulated is advisable. There are other modes of treatments for more serious cases.

Monday, 25 November 2013

How does one address Cardiometabolic Disorders?

Anyone who is suffering from a cardiometabolic disease needs to understand how it can affect them, and what steps are involved in dealing with it effectively.

People with cardiometabolic disease, have a high risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart diseases. Essentially, it is an insulin resistance disorder.

What is cardiometabolic syndrome?

In this syndrome, a group of ailments take place at the same time. Hypertension, depression, morbid obesity keep worsening the health of the patient. They are also interrelated, and can lead to each other. As a matter of fact, they keep aggravating each other, as well.

People suffering from this syndrome, are considered to be at a high risk of a stroke and even sudden death.

Who is at a risk of cardiometabolic disorders?

Genetics and Lifestyle are the primary determinants. Men are at higher risk, than women. Also, your family history makes a considerable difference. If present or previous generations of family members suffered from heart related issues like; heart attacks, had or have a history of heart diseases, then the chances for cardiometabolic disease will increase.

Smoking, drinking, substance abuse and consumption of fatty foods, can also increase the risks. Aging is another factor that can lead to heart related complications. Certain medications, like: anti-depressants and mood stabilizers, can also increase the possibility of sustaining such disorders.

What’s the solution?

Regular check-ups are a must for anyone who thinks he may be at risk of any kind of cardiovascular related issues. Keeping an account of your blood pressure levels, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels and lipoproteins levels is the key to prevent future complications. In severe cases treatment may involve medicinal intervention, or even something as major as a bypass surgery.

Prevention is very important, and adopting good healthy habits can make a world of difference. This involves, exercising, eating healthy and nutritious foods, no smoking or drinking alcohol or at least cutting down. Also if you are taking any physiological disorder medication, you should try to decrease the dosage gradually, until, you only take as little as possible.

Sunday, 17 November 2013

What are LDLs, and what is their relation to advanced lipid testing?

If you or a loved one has a history of heart disease, or has recently begun to experience symptoms that might indicate the possibility of cardiovascular diseases, then you might have come across a number of testing techniques.
It is not only important to know the different kinds of tests that exist, but also, what they are for, and in what situation they should be done.

In this article, you will find information regarding advanced lipid testing, why it is necessary and about LDL, the central element.

LDL stands for Low density lipoproteins. Lipo means fat, and because the fat is carried around in a cover of protein, the unit it called ‘lipoprotein.’ It carries cholesterol, wax, fats, and other fatty elements, and helps in storing them in the part of the body, where they are required. The production takes place in two main organs in the human body, which is; the liver and the intestines.

The outer sheet of protein helps, hold together the solid fat, which would be hard to infuse directly in the blood stream.

There are two types of Lipoproteins:

1. HDL: High density Lipoproteins
2. LDL: Low density Lipoproteins

Among, the two, LDL are more significant to a heart patient, as they are primarily responsible for transferring cholesterol to the cells that need them.

What is lipid testing?

The average adult in America has between 130 mg/dl to 160 mg/dl of LDL in his body. This is the desired amount, and fluctuation towards either side; high or low, is considered unfavorable and might lead to heart related complications.

The standard test used to recognize a lipid disorder is a regular blood test. An advanced test is used to get an account of both the amount and the size, of the LDL present in the body. It should be noted that the size here, is more significant and a major determinant of lipid disorders.

What advantages does advance testing have?

Advance testing helps in determining the amount and size of each lipoprotein assess Apo lipoproteins, subspecies, or components of HDL and LDL.

This allows the concerned cardiologist to evaluate the patient’s condition comprehensively, and suggest a suitable cure. The treatment will surely include a change in the diet and lifestyle of the patient. In addition, depending on the severity of the condition, medicinal or surgical intervention can also be suggested.

Friday, 26 April 2013

Here’s why you must strive for a healthy heart!

The Heart is your body’s ‘Hero’, the protagonist! The most important organ of the body, and if it were to stop functioning even for a couple of seconds, then it would be the end of your story! Now doesn’t that make it all the more essential for you, to take the best possible care of its health and wellness?
The heart works non-stop and you need to keep fuelling it with the right ingredients, to keep it functioning in the best possible way. But what do we do instead? We live an unhealthy life style; we clog the sensitive components of the heart by carelessly consuming unhealthy foods, smoking and drinking alcohol. So by living an unhealthy life style, we are only heading towards illness and hospital visits.
The choice is yours. A healthy life doesn’t just happen; it has to be built. There are many print and digital media Cardiology articles which are filled with information and ways on how to keep your heart fit. You need to select a health plan, which can actually help you to lead a healthy life. You need to make sure that you eat lots of greens, vegetables, fruits, cereals and food that contain fiber and also lots of exercise. This shall help in keeping your metabolism rates high, and will also help your body get rid of all its toxins and waste, and live a healthy life.
I know how difficult it is to make adjustments from your busy schedule, but remember that you are fighting for a healthy heart. Do everything you can, jog, swim, or just stay active! Anything that includes a good amount of physical activity can make you get rid of the excess weight and keep you healthy and fit.
‘Rest’ is as important as exercise, and you need to make sure that you sleep a sound 6-8 hours, so that you wake up healthy and fresh in the morning. The entire cycle needs to be focused upon. Besides this, staying updated with cardiology news shall help you find out the latest facts and developments in the medical industry, which can help you, boost your health.
All you need to do is take a step towards a healthy heart!Get such an exclusive tips about how to stay healthy.

Monday, 22 April 2013

Prevent obesity from taking over your health and happiness!

Obesity has long been linked to a number of diseases in people around the world. Living with all that excess fat on your body can not only be very figuratively tormenting for you, but it is also and open gateway to a number of diseases.
This is why it is essential that you maintain a proportionate body weight! Reading and gaining knowledge through the most renowned cardiology journals, you will discover that the biggest sufferer of a heavy body is the heart, which needs to work continuously, pumping blood to the body.
Being overweight will make the heart weak, stressed out, and diseased. The cholesterol that you consume through unhealthy foods tends to pack the walls and arteries of the heart, making it all the more difficult for it to function. With time, it brings down the health and wellness of your heart, while making you ill.
Lipids that are a very essential aspect of nutrition for your body also play an essential role in this entire paraphernalia. These are those water-insoluble molecules that are responsible for the relative production of fat in the body. If we have a healthy diet, the production of harmful fat will definitely be reduced. Obesity can lead to a number of serious consequences, and many times in order to avoid such consequences; people need to have surgery done.
So learn all about lipidology obesity surgery and start taking care of your weight now.
Exercising and eating a balanced diet is a must, and we know it. However, there are other small steps that you can incorporate in your life, which would help you in losing your excess weight, while maintaining a healthy figure. Drinking lots of water and consuming lots of fiber shall definitely help you in shedding the extra pounds.
Just remember that you need to take care of your body in order to keep it healthy. Simple steps shall lead you to a healthy life!

Wednesday, 17 April 2013

Why diabetes education is important for everyone?

Diabetes is a rapidly emerging health threat across the world. Although lots of extended research is being done to find a cure for the disease, the success so far, has not been very effective.
It’s said that ‘prevention is better than cure’, and the medical professionals have always emphasized on spreading as much awareness as possible about diabetes. Below you will find some of the reasons that make diabetes education is so important for everyone–
  1. It’s always better to be cautious – the fact that so far there has been no effective remedy found for this life threatening medical condition, prevention from it is very important. People’s deteriorating lifestyle habits have increased the risks of developing this disease even greater. Therefore, it is imperative that you stay updated about the risks associated with the disease, and learn how to manage a healthy lifestyle in order to avoid this horrible disease.
  2. Awareness about the risks associated with the disease – although maintaining a healthy lifestyle can help you against developing diabetes, but the fact that it can also be genetically transmitted, makes education about it even more important. Being aware of all the signs and symptoms of diabetes can help you detect the disease at an early stage therefore making it possible for you to get immediate medical attention from a specialist, rather than waiting for it to reach the critical stage.
  3. Ensure a healthy lifestyle – diabetes can worsen if the lifestyle habits are sedentary. Detailed education about it can help you adopt a healthier and better lifestyle, so that you and your family do not have to worry about the complications of this serious disease. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, you not only minimize the risk of diabetes, but also the risks of any other such diseases that are associated with poor lifestyle habits.
Surely the above mentioned factors have shown you the importance of being educated about diabetes.
Wondering where can you get all such information? Well, there are a number of online journals where you can get all the latest medical events and information regarding; cardiology news, articles on diabetesas well as other similar critical information.
So, keep yourself safe from this serious and deadly disease, by getting the proper information, and adopting a healthier lifestyle with the help of online journals and news.

Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Education can play a key role against Diabetes!

If we consider the data provided by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in their National Diabetes Fact sheet for 2011, then you will be shocked to see what the statistics show–
  • 8.3% of the population of the country including children have diabetes.
  • 18.8 million people have been diagnosed with Diabetes, and there are 7 million more who are at risk, but so far have not been diagnosed.
  • 79 million people are known to be going through the prediabetes stage.
For a disease like Diabetes, education and awareness are the only solutions.
Most people are not aware of the seriousness of diabetes, and the fact that it could be the root-cause of many other health problems. Here is a sneak peak at some more statistics (provided in the ADA fact sheet for the year 2011) that reflect the prevalence of health problems because of diabetes –
  • The risk of a stroke among people affected with diabetes is 2-4% higher than compared to normal people.
  • Statistics show that in 2004, 68% of the people who died because of heart troubles had diabetes.
  • From 2005-2008, 4.2million people were reported to have diabetic retinopathy (a medical condition that can lead to blindness).
  • As of 2008; 202,290 people in the United States were reported to suffer from end-stage kidney disease due to diabetes, and had to undergo kidney transplants.
  • In 2006, 65,700 people had to undergo non-traumatic lower limb amputations because of diabetes.
  • About 1 in every 400 children and adolescents, i.e. 215,000 people under the age of 20 years, suffer from diabetes.
Are you shocked by this revelation? Well you should be.
Keeping in mind that there has been no reliable cure found for the disease so far, it becomes imperative to be aware about the dangers associated with this disease, and the ways in which you can minimize them.
Professionals suggest that being aware of the on-going research on diabetes, and problems associated with various fields linked to it like cardiology, lipodology, and others is of great help to avoid undergoing treatments because of this medical condition.
Having discussed all the facts regarding Diabetes, you can clearly understand the significance of education in combating this disease. So, always update your knowledge and that of your family on this topic.