One of the best resolutions you can make this year is to control any health issues. Low cholesterol levels can lead to potentially serious health complications.
However, with lifestyle changes and a treatment plan developed and managed by Thomas Nguyen, MD, and the team at Nguyen Medical Group in Boynton Beach, Florida, you can fix your cholesterol levels and feel better. Find out what you can do to get your cholesterol under control this year.
There are two types of cholesterol, HDL and LDL, and both need to be at the correct levels. Both forms play essential roles in body functions, cell membrane development, hormonal production, and the creation of vitamin D.
LDL cholesterol is also known as bad cholesterol. A small amount of LDL cholesterol in the system helps keep people healthy.
However, too much LDL cholesterol is detrimental to your health. Too much LDL cholesterol sticks in your bloodstream and impedes blood flow, which puts you at risk for various diseases, including stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and blood clots.
You can think of HDL cholesterol as good cholesterol. Think of the H in HDL as representing the word healthy to help distinguish it from LDL cholesterol.
HDL removes excess LDL cholesterol and moves it through the body after it’s done its job. Enough HDL cholesterol helps the body keep the other cholesterol levels in check.
Your body stays healthiest when you keep your LDL levels high enough and your HDL levels lower. This gives you enough LDL to flush out the HDL cholesterol once it's done.
The ideal minimum HDL cholesterol level is 40 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) for men and above 50 mg/dL for women. The ideal maximum LDL cholesterol level is under 100 mg/dL for men and women.
Additionally, your total cholesterol levels should remain under 200 mg/dL.
You don’t usually have any obvious symptoms when you have high cholesterol, giving cholesterol imbalances time to cause damage before a diagnosis. The best way to avoid unknowingly living with out-of-balance cholesterol levels is by having your HDL and LDL levels checked at your annual physical.
After diagnosis, the following changes help you correct your cholesterol:
If our team discovers you have imbalanced cholesterol at a cholesterol check, starting and maintaining these lifestyle changes is often all you need to do to bring them back to healthy levels. A healthy lifestyle includes:
Our team can assist you with making lifestyle changes that lower your risk, including quitting smoking and developing a safe and effective diet and exercise routine that you can maintain.
When lifestyle changes alone aren’t enough to control your cholesterol, our team can also prescribe medication that helps improve your cholesterol levels. Medication is most effective when you combine it with making lifestyle changes.
Knowing what you can do to keep your cholesterol levels under control is key to permanently maintaining your HDL and LDL numbers. Contact us to schedule your cholesterol check today.
