High Cholesterol: A Silent Danger That Can Affect the Heart – How Can It Be Prevented?

High Cholesterol: A Silent Danger That Can Affect the Heart – How Can It Be Prevented?


Introduction
High cholesterol can pose serious risks to the heart, brain, and other vital organs over time.
Our diet is considered responsible for most of the problems that arise in our body.
Medical experts describe high cholesterol as a silent problem that grows in the body for years without any apparent symptoms, but over time can pose serious risks to the heart, brain, and other vital organs. Most people realize this when the disease has become a major complication.

What is High Cholesterol?

According to experts, cholesterol is actually a fat-like substance that is present in the blood. On the one hand, it is produced by the liver itself, while on the other hand, it is also obtained from food, especially through meat, fish, eggs and dairy products.
Although it is essential for the body and helps in the production of hormones, cell structure and vitamin D, its excess can be dangerous.

Types of Cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol:
•    HDL (Good Cholesterol): Helps remove excess fat from the body 
•    LDL (Bad Cholesterol): Accumulates in the blood vessels, making them narrow and hard, which is called Atherosclerosis 
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Why is High Cholesterol Dangerous?
Because of this silence, it is also called the "silent killer" because it does not immediately show symptoms such as pain or weakness.
However, when the arteries become narrowed, problems such as chest pain, shortness of breath, leg pain, Heart Attack or Stroke can occur. Experts warn that waiting for symptoms can be dangerous, so timely testing is important.

Testing and Diagnosis

Doctors recommend that people with diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, or smoking should have their lipid profile tested regularly. For some people, every six months is recommended, while for others, this test is considered necessary at least once a year.

How to Prevent High Cholesterol

According to experts, a few simple lifestyle changes can be effective in preventing high cholesterol.
•    Adopt a balanced diet 
•    Reduce the consumption of fatty foods and red meat 
•    Eat more fiber-rich foods such as oats, pulses and fruits 
•    Limit the consumption of egg yolks 
Physical activity is also very important:
•    At least half an hour of brisk walking every day 
•    About 150 minutes of exercise per week 

Conclusion
Experts say that since this disease progresses silently, regular tests and healthy habits are the only effective means of protecting against it.