Hello and welcome to this video about your cholesterol status
This is part of a series of videos looking at blood tests for all your organ systems, so if you want to see them check out the playlist.
As always if you've had a blood test and the results are way out of line, go and see your doctor.
But if you're just hear to learn and feel a bit more empowered about your health, stay tuned.
As we talk about the cholesterol status.
So cholesterol - it's got a bit of a bad rep over the years because people equate it with disease
and sure, in the wrong quantities it really can cause disease and we're going to talk about that
but cholesterol is essential for human life. It makes up cell membranes and every single cell in your body has it.
When we look at your result we're looking at your total cholesterol level
but also your HDL cholesterol, LDL, Non-HDL and triglycerides. But what does that all mean?
Well, cholesterol is transported around your body
And some people have called it 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol, which is a nice way of thinking about it - but remember we still need both and to get the balance right.
So, your 'good' cholesterol
So your HDL is the good cholesterol. Think of it as 'H' for 'Happy'.
HDL takes the fats from your vessels and brings them to your liver where your liver processes it.
Your LDL and Non-HDL cholesterols - the 'bad' cholesterols, they take fats from your liver and deposit them in your vessels.
Now as I said, you need both the good and the bad cholesterol and to keep that regulation going
But if you have too little HDL cholesterol or too much LDL or Non-HDL cholesterol
the balance goes a bit wrong which results in fats being deposited in your blood vessels
and over time that blocks the blood vessels and leads to heart attacks and all kinds of other nasty things.
When you get your blood test back you can see your total cholesterol level
Now this is of limited use without seeing what the breakdown is, because sometimes the total level might be high
but it might be made up of really good stuff! Equally it might be made up of really bad stuff.
Let's start with HDL.
You want a good level of HDL because then you'll be better at cleaning out the excess fats.
If your HDL levels are low you can look to boost them primarily through diet.
Oily fish is fantastic - sardines and mackerels.
If you don't like fish or you're vegan/vegetarian you can look at algae, flaxseed or omega-3 supplements.
Now you have your unhealthy cholesterol - LDL and non-HDL - these are the ones taking fats to your blood vessels.
And if their levels go too high then you're at greater risk of things like heart attacks
So how can you get your bad cholesterol levels down?
You can do it through diet and through exercise.
Cardiovascular exercise - run, cycle, even a brisk walk. Doing about 150 minutes of this each week will slowly begin to bring these levels down.
Also through diet - cutting out the junk - the cakes, the biscuits, the sugars, the alcohols.
Unfortunately as we get older it's not so easy to regulate your cholesterol so they go up anyway.
So you may need some medical input despite the best modifications you're making to your lifestyle.
But be open to it because the medications we have for sorting out your cholesterol are fantastic
And they can reduce your cardiovascular risk - i.e. the risk of heart attacks or strokes, significantly.
Finally triglycerides. These are little fatty acids that travel around your body
And just like cholesterol you want the right amount of these.
If your levels go a bit high it could be because you've been having a lot of fats in your diet, or could be because of some alcohol
But if they go very high it puts you at risk of pancreatitis. And finally just a quick word about motivation
Some people are a little overweight and they want to lose it
But they get frustrated because they still look the same on the outside and the weight isn't coming down.
But on the inside those massive changes are happening
and it can take as little as 3 months for you to see fantastic improvements in your cholesterol and sugar levels.
So don't be disheartened if you're not seeing the changes on the outside, because they're happening on the inside and the outside follows in due course.
That's a great way to stay motivated, keep healthy and keep those lifestyle modifications going.
So that's your cholesterol status. Remember there is 'good' and 'bad' - but don't think of it as good and bad
Think of it as a balance which you can achieve through diet, exercise and general healthy living.
Join us next time when we'll be talking about your HbA1c level - that is your measure for diabetes. See you then!