Michele Maroldo

Approximately 107 million Americans have a moderately high level of cholesterol, a level which begins a risk for heart disease. Learn the facts and what steps you can take to control your cholesterol.

You’ve only got one heart, if it stops beating you no longer live. Protecting your heart could be the single best thing you can do for your body. Every year approximately one half million people die from heart disease and more than a million people suffer heart attacks in America alone. High levels of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for heart disease and heart attacks.

How can high levels of cholesterol cause heart disease leading to a heart attack? According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the definition of cholesterol is a white crystalline substance, found in animal tissues and various foods, that is normally synthesized by the liver and is important as a constituent of cell membranes and a precursor to steroid hormones. Its level in the bloodstream can influence the pathogenesis of certain conditions, such as the development of atherosclerotic plaque and coronary artery disease. To put it in more simple terms, cholesterol is a soft fatty substance found in the blood and cells that is necessary for normal bodily functions. However, too much cholesterol in the blood causes a build up of a hard substance called plaque that narrows the walls of the arteries. If a blockage occurs in an artery carrying blood to the heart, the blockage can cause a heart attack. If a blockage occurs in an artery carrying blood to the brain, a stroke could occur.

If you have high cholesterol, you may not exhibit any symptoms. For this reason it is very important to have your cholesterol checked on a regular basis. Because high cholesterol is treatable, it is important to learn what your cholesterol levels are and what the numbers mean. It is a simple blood test that your doctor can perform. It should also be noted that anyone can have high cholesterol; young, old, persons at risk for heart disease and those without risk.

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WHAT IS INSOMNIA?:
The following definitions all apply to the meaning of insomnia: A prolonged and abnormal inability to obtain adequate sleep, chronic inability to fall asleep or remain asleep for a satisfactory length of time, awaking during the night with an inability to fall back asleep, waking too early in the morning.

WHAT CAUSES INSOMNIA?:
There are many factors that can contribute to insomnia, these can include any one or combination of the following:

Stress, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, eating late at night, stimulant drugs, medication containing stimulants, sleep apnea (abnormal breathing while asleep), asthma, chronic pain, indigestion, frequent urination, environmental noise, anxiety, depression.

HOW MUCH SLEEP DO I NEED?:
Most adults require 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. While that remains consistent through adulthood, as we enter our elder years our bodies go through sleep cycle changes and may require less hours of sleep per night with an added nap during the day. If you are constantly tired during the day after having had a full night’s sleep, chances are you need to increase the amount of time you spend sleeping. However, one should be careful not to dwell on expectations of “I must get 8 hours of sleep tonight.” Thinking in such a way could exasperate the effect of insomnia.

STEPS YOU CAN TAKE TO COMBAT INSOMNIA:
Benefits of Exercise - Aerobic exercise combined with weight training performed in the morning or early afternoon has been proven to increase deeper stages of sleep. Research also indicates that people who exercise regularly during these times fall asleep faster than those who do not exercise. Exercise causes a rise in body temperature and a subsequent fall in body temperature approximately five to six hours later which can aid to a good night’s sleep. Exercise also works by relieving stress and tension, helps dissolve lactic acid built up in the blood, eases tension, stimulates the brain and major organs, activates endorphins which gives you a sense of well-being, and energizes the nervous system. Exercise is classified as a physical stressor to the body, the brain equalizes this by allowing deeper sleep to repair, refresh, and renew the body.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol - Caffeine is a stimulant and can cause the body to stay awake or have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate all contain caffeine. Some individuals are highly sensitive to caffeine and have trouble falling asleep after having caffeine ten to twelve hours earlier. Alcohol, while thought to have sedative effects, can make you sleepy initially but can cause you to wake several times during the night.

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