Posted by sallym on 26th February 2010
Medications for high cholestral can help control some of your related health problems, and the levels that your body is making daily. If you have been told that you have high cholestral you can get help from your family doctor, and read about your alternatives online. Your body makes cholestral everyday and if you are eating right, you are exercising and you are watching your weight, and you find that your cholestral level is not going down you may need to use medications. That way your cholestral can be reduced to a good, healthy level that will leave you free from worry.
Great changes can be made with the use of medications to lower your cholestral if you are find that you have problems in lowering it yourself through any other means. The choice to use medications is one that should not be taken lightly and should not be made overnight. If you levels are medium you should first try to reduce the cholestral that you eat, and you should try to lose weight if you need to, and to exercise more before, resorting to medication.
If you have little stress in your life, and you are not overweight, your doctor may explain why you should try the cholestral lowering life style changes first. Every person's needs are different. If you are ever in doubt as to what your medical provider is offering you in the form of information about the medication or your condition you should seek another opinion from another doctor and then you can weigh your options.
There are different types of medication that could be prescribed in order to lower your cholestral. They include Mevacor, Zocof, and Lipitor. They are designed to reduce the risk of blood clots that you could face with high cholestral. There is also Questran, and Colestid, and Lopid, and Tricor. however. As with all medical treatments, they should only be taken with a formal prescription from your doctor and you should be aware that there are often side effects. If you have high cholestral it is essential that you get prompt, professional advice from a qualified health professional.
Tags: cholesterol medication
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Posted by bunches on 23rd November 2007
Before Using A Cholesterol Drug It Is Wise To Know Certain Facts
It is extremely important to educate ourselves on something in a complete way before we use any drugs. This is especially true if it's something like high cholesterol, which can turn out to be fatal if neglected. So juse what is cholesterol and how might a cholesterol drug save your life?
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance found in our cells and blood stream. It is important for our body as it produces a number of hormones, some cell membranes and assists digestion. This is high density lipoprotein (HDL) and is needed by our body to be healthy. "Bad" cholesterol(low density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol) causes problems and can lead to heart disease. It causes clots to form within the arteries. It is this we need to worry about and reduce the level of with the use of cholesterol drugs. Our body produces cholesterol but we also accumulate it through the eating/drinking various food products such as: egg yolks, poultry, butter, cheese, whole milk and so on.
What is the Right Level of Cholesterol?
For most people their total cholesterol level should be below 5 mmols/l.However,for those at high risk of circulatory problems,or who already have these, it should be less than four. Cholesterol is not calculated by body weight, though if you are overweight there's a good chance you will high bad cholesterol levels.
Which is the Right Cholesterol Drug for you?
There are a number of cholesterol drugs available on the market some of which can be obtained over the counter. However you should always consult your doctor before you start taking any medication. Some cholesterol drugs can have serious side effects which in the long run may do you more harm than good. Only your doctor can advise which medicine is best for you as he/she knows your medical history and present state of health. You may also have to take more than one kind of medication. This is why it is important that you seek medical advice, because you will need to know what type of cholesterol drug is right for you.
Life Style Has An Impact
Your everyday life style can make a great difference to both types of cholesterol levels, good and bad. Therefore take a moment to understand what you can change today in order to have a better tomorrow. Eating healthily and exercising have always been the key to a good physical and mental lifestyle. Find out what works best for you and start practicing right away.
Tags: cholesterol lowering drug, cholesterol medication, cholesterol medicine
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Posted by bunches on 21st October 2007
Before Taking a Cholesterol Lowering Drug Consider Other Options
Being in good health is imporant to everyone. However, how we go about getting and staying in shape varies from person to person. Plenty of information is available on any health issue you may have and, that with the opportunity for regular check ups means there's no excuse not to be in control of your own health.
What is Cholesterol and why it is Important?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance which is needed by our bodies in order to produce a number of hormones and cell membranes. There are two types of cholesterol commonly referred to as good and bad cholesterol. Whilst good cholesterol is responsible for the proper functioning of our body, bad cholesterol can lead to heart related diseases such as coronary heart attack, if not controlled.
Controlling Cholesterol Levels
In order to be able to control cholesterol you need to know what are the right levels you should opt for in the first place:
Good cholesterol should be a minimum of 40mg/dL or more and bad cholesterol not over 200mg/dL.
Cholesterol is not dependent upon your body weight but if you are heavier than is considered healthy you may be at risk of high bad cholesterol levels.
You can purchase some cholesterol lowering drugs over the counter whilst others can only be obtained through a prescription by an authorized physician. However, it is highly recommended that before you even consider taking any type of cholesterol lowering drug, you consult your doctor so they can help you decide which cholesterol lowering drug is best for you. Or even, whether a drug is necessary at all.
Alternative Ways to Lower Cholesterol
Besides taking medication you should know that there are other ways that can help you to reduce your cholesterol levels. Eating better is one way. Pay attention to everything you eat at meal times and in the form of snacks. Trans and saturated fats are the main culprits that are known to raise your bad cholesterol but they are usually clearly marked on any package label so you can start to cut down on them. Also look for cholesterol markings and try and avoid eating foods that contain high levels.
Most foods that we eat everyday contain cholesterol such as, poultry, meats, eggs, butter and milk. If you want to eat those items and still keep your cholesterol levels low is you need to cut down on quantities. If it is recommended that you take a cholesterol lowering drug it becomes even more necessary to watch your diet and take the necessary measures to keep bad cholesterol in check.
Tags: cholesterol lowering drug, cholesterol medicine
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Posted by bunches on 19th October 2007
How To Lower Your cholesterol - Your Choices
There are many choices when it comes to knowing how to lower your cholesterol levels. These include lifestyle changes such as improvements to your diet and more exercise, medication and natural remedies. Depending upon how high your cholesterol levels are and your specific circumstances you may need to ask your doctor's opinion on how to lower your cholesterol level most efectively.
Before you make any decisions about treatment, however, you need to know exactly what your cholesterol level is. You can find this out with a home cholesterol test such, if you have a family history of high cholesterol or you are showing symptoms of heart problems you will need to have a blood sample sent to a professional lab. If the results come back at an unhealty level you will need to decide upon how to lower your cholesterol to a normal level and will, most likely, need to be tested at least once a year going forward.
However, even though high cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis, which in turn can cause heart disease it does not mean that you will end up with heart disease. You can control your cholesterol and can live a long and healthy life by doing so.
Your body produces cholesterol naturally and absorbs additional cholesterol from the foods that you eat. This is why changes in diet are often recommended in order to improve your health. If you are prescribed cholesterol medication your doctor will most likely recommend that you also exercise regularly and eat healthier food alongside taking the drugs.
One way to improve your diet is to cut out white breads and replace them with wheat, rye and other types of whole grain breads. Also eat less red meat and meats generally that are high in satuated fat. It is not a healthy choice to eat food with lots of saturated fats or cooked in grease and oil. Purchase meats that have the fat trimmed or the skinned removed in order to lower cholesterol levels in your body. Oatmeal for breakfast is always a good choice.
When it comes to snacks eat foods that are high in fiber, and low in fat. Try frozen yogurt bars, dry wholegrain cereals, cereal bars, fruit bars and juice bars or skim milk ice cream. Look for popcorn that is light, or unbuttered, rice cakes and low fat pretzels. And, of course, don't forget to ear plenty of fruit. Some people swear by grapaefruit juice as a good choice in how to lower your cholesterol.
So, when you need to decide how to lower your cholestrol, consider diet, exercise and, if necessary, cholesterol medication.
Tags: cholesterol levels, cholesterol monitor, home cholestrol kit, how to lower your cholesterol, low cholesterol diet
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Posted by bunches on 18th October 2007
Cholesterol Monitoring Devices
The importance of knowing your cholesterol levels cannot be overestimated. For someone with normal levels and no additional predictive factors pointing to a danger of high cholesterol, the few tests recommened by doctors should be sufficient. For someone 20 years or older, a test every 5 years is the suggested frequency, until the results start showing high cholesterol.
If you have high levels and a condition that adds to the problem like diabetes or the need to take medication that raises cholesterol, more frequent tests are advised. If your cholesterol cannot be controlled by diet and exercise you are taking medication, you might want a more personal kind of cholesterol monitor.
Cholesterol Testing at Home
With the success of diabetes home monitoring, medical science has been developing cholesterol tests that can be administered at home to keep track of progress using a special monitor. Cholesterol levels can fluctuate on a daily basis. For those within the normal range, this isn’t a problem.
When your cholesterol levels are regularly at levels that can be dangerous, it can be important to monitor changes so that you can see what is working and what isn’t in your treatment regimen.
For several years instruments like the home cholesterol monitor have been delivering reliable results using a drop of blood. The test takes just a few minutes and many of the devices will keep track of the time and date of the test and store the results. Such a tool can be helpful when a patient is trying a new regimen.
Improvements can be measured as exercise is increased or diet improved. As results become better, a patient may find encouragement between doctor’s visits and keep up the good work. This alone can be very important since beginning a diet and exercise program is demanding and high cholesterol can cause depression.
Several types of cholesterol monitor are miniature computers. This allows different kinds of information to be available. A device may be able to assess current readings in conjunction with other risk factors such as smoking. While the FDA accepts the accuracy of the new types of home cholesterol monitor, some insurance companies don’t accept the need for frequent testing and don’t cover the cost of the devices and their test strips.
The need for such tests can be determined by doctors on a case by case basis. If nothing else, they help a patient participate more fully in controlling the situation.
Tags: cholesterol home kit, cholesterol monitor, cholesterol test, home cholesterol test
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Posted by bunches on 16th October 2007
What Does Cholesterol Treatment Involve?
Cholesterol treatment is designed to lower the levels of bad cholesterol and thus help to prevent atherosclerosis and ensuing heart attacks. Before any cholesterol treatment is prescribed your doctor will most likely request a few tests to ascertain exactly what the levels of cholesterol in your blood. Your doctor will also look into your medical history to judge the intensity of risk involved.
Importance of Risk Factors
If you have a history of heart attack in the family, you smoke, you have already developed high blood pressure, diabetes and/or have a history of atherosclerosis or heart disease, the recommended cholesterol treatment will be chosen accordingly. However, if the risk factors (as described above) are low the doctor will most likely prescribe a drug free therapy which will consist mostly of changes in diet and life style.
However, if one or more high risk symptoms are found to be present, and the levels of cholesterol (LDL in particular) are high too, then the doctor will start you on medication, depending upon the stage of the disease.
It is common knowledge that bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol is instrumental in causing atherosclerosis. This disease is the first step towards heart attack and eventually death. Atherosclerosis is a progressive disease which can start extremely early in life. Since it does not have any particular symptoms, it will progress silently and manifest itself through heart pain (angina) and heart attacks.
The cholesterol treatment the doctor prescribes will aim to reverse this trend. While medicines are found to be efficient, some studies show that they are not enough. People who develop atherosclerosis are still at risk from heart attacks even with the most appropriate regime of diet, exercise and lifestyle. What seems to help is to increase the levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).
HDL cholesterol removes and cleans the arteries of the plaque formed by fat and other debris accumulation thereby returning the cardiovascular system to its healthy form. This cholesterol treatment is what really helps in the end. Unless the arteries are “cleaned”, the risk of heart attack can still exists despite the bad cholesterol being brought under control.
In order to be informed about risk from an early stage, when it is easier to reverse the atherosclerosis, you need to take a cholesterol test at least once every three years. You should also be careful about what type of fat you consume and reduce saturated fats to the minimum.
Tags: atherosclerosis, cholesterol test, Cholesterol Treatment, heart attack, LDL cholesterol
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