High Cholesterol - Facts You Need to Know
August 15th, 2007Approximately 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.
At any rate, the guy was bench pressing, I believe there was 255 on the bar and he wasn’t exactly “small” by any definition. I immediately ask if he would like a lift-off to which he gives no response because he still has his headphones in his ears and he can’t hear a word I’m saying. I make no effort to aid in a lift-off and he proceeds to crank out a good 8 reps. By the 9th rep, he needs my help. He is able to get it off his chest but fails midway through the motion. I am there to help him push it through to the top of the rep. Then he does something that drives me mad, he proceeds to utter the words, “One more!” I immediately think to myself, are you crazy, you couldn’t get the last rep by yourself and there’s no way you’re going to be able to get another, besides, I just trained biceps yesterday. As quickly as the thought exits my mind, he proceeds to drop the bar to attempt another rep. As predictable as rain, he barely gets it off his chest and then comes to a complete stop. I quickly grab the bar but I refuse to lift it off of him, I make him work for it and work hard. He grunts, he groans, he squirms, and pushes with all his might and half of mine, to complete the rep. Red-faced and sweat pouring down his head he gets up, gives me a half of a smile, and a nod of gratitude. I walk away wondering if he’ll be hard pressed to ask for my spot again.