Cholesterol is a type of fat in the body. Cholesterol has its own role and function for the body. However, if the amount exceeds the normal limit, cholesterol fat will form plaque which can eventually clog blood vessels
Cholesterol is a fat produced by the liver. These fats are also found in foods of animal origin, such as milk and meat. for the body, cholesterol serves to form healthy cells, produce vitamin D, and produce various hormones.
Cholesterol
Although cholesterol is important for the body, cholesterol can become a disease if its levels are outside normal limits. Cholesterol can attack anyone, both adults and children, but the most common cholesterol sufferers are adult men
If cholesterol is not treated quickly and appropriately, fatty deposits can break down and lead to more serious conditions, such as a heart attack or stroke.
There are several lifestyle habits that can increase the risk of suffering from high cholesterol, including:
Unhealthy lifestyle
A bad lifestyle is the most common cause of high cholesterol in the body. Examples of a bad or unhealthy lifestyle are as follows:
- Experiencing stress
- Consuming cigarettes
- Eating foods that are high in cholesterol and foods that contain high saturated fat, full cream milk, chicken skin, such as fried foods, and offal
- Rarely or not exercising
- Consuming alcoholic beverages
- rarely do physical activity
Not only that, increased cholesterol levels can also occur because a person suffers from a disease, such as:
- Chronic kidney failure
- overweight (Obesity)
- Descendants
- Diabetes
- HIV/AIDS
- Hypothyroidism
Besides being caused by several factors above, someone who is over 40 years old is also at greater risk of suffering from cholesterol. This happens influenced by increasing age, so the liver is less able to get rid of bad cholesterol in the body.
Cholesterol Symptoms
High cholesterol generally does not cause symptoms, so people who are not aware of high cholesterol amounts to other diseases, such as stroke or heart disease. Therefore, cholesterol tests need to be done on a scale or at least once a year.
High Cholesterol Treatment
To normalize cholesterol, the doctor will recommend the patient to adopt a healthy lifestyle, for example:
- Exercise every day for at least 30 minutes
- Increase consumption of fruits and vegetables that contain high fiber
- Do not consume fried foods or those containing saturated cholesterol.
- Stop smoking because smoking is very dangerous for health
- Limiting or not consuming high-fat foods, such as red meat
In addition to living a healthy lifestyle, your doctor can prescribe several types of medications to help lower cholesterol, such as:
- Such as simvastatin or atorvastatin
- Cholestyramine
- Ezetimibe
To minimize the potential for high cholesterol levels in the body, several efforts can be made, such as:
Do not consume alcoholic beverages
Don’t smoke
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day on a regular basis
Avoid stress
Limiting foods that contain high cholesterol
Maintain ideal body weight
eat more fiber-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables
Implement a healthy, nutritionally complete and balanced diet
Healthy Lifestyle 