High Cholesterol

High cholesterol is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. It is not a disease but a metabolic derangement that can be secondary to many diseases and can contribute to many forms of disease, most notably cardiovascular disease.

The causes of high cholesterol include: hereditary, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, hypothyroidism, anorexia nervosa, Zieve's Syndrome, diet, overweight, and lack of physical activity.

While part of the circulating cholesterol originates from diet, and restricting cholesterol intake may reduce blood cholesterol levels, there are various other links between the dietary pattern and cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association also compiles a list of the acceptable/unacceptable foods for those who are diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia. Evidence is accumulating that eating more carbohydrates - especially simpler, more refined carbohydrates - increases levels of triglycerides in the blood, lowers HDL, and may shift the LDL particle distribution pattern into unhealthy atherogenic patterns. Thus a low fat diet, which often means a higher carbohydrate intake, may actually be an unhealthy change. An increasing number of researchers are suggesting that a major dietary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases is trans fatty acids, not saturated fats, as had been suggested by the Framingham Heart Study, and in the US the FDA plans revised food labeling to include listing trans fat quantities, by 2007.

...More at Wikipedia 

Related Links:

• US National Library of Medicine
• Mayo Clinic

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