The treatment for lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, does not always consist of taking medicines. Usually the treatment begins with changes to a healthy style, with balanced diet and practice of physical activity and smoking cessation, alcohol and stress. But if all these changes are not enough, the cardiologist may prescribe cholesterol-lowering medicines.
Total cholesterol should not exceed 200mg / dl and those who have high cholesterol should have a blood test at least once a year, but anyone who has never had problems with cholesterol or high cholesterol in the family should take the test at least every 5 years. However, when parents or grandparents have high cholesterol it is important to take the test every 3 years from the age of 20 even if you have never had high cholesterol. Find out what are the reference values for cholesterol.
Maintaining high blood cholesterol rates is important because elevation increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and events such as heart attack, for example, which can be prevented with some relatively simple measures to achieve.
Food for lowering cholesterol
The best home cholesterol-lowering treatment is a diet that should be low in fat and rich in whole foods and fiber, and should promote weight loss. Ideally, BMI should be below 25 kg / m2 and waist circumference should be less than 102 cm for men and less than 88 cm for women.
- What to Eat to Lower Cholesterol: fruits, vegetables, whole grains like oats, flaxseed and chia, lean meats like fish and skinless chicken, soy products, skim milk and yogurt, white cheeses such as ricotta and herbs for seasoning foods . It should also be preferred to prepare grilled, steamed, or low-added foods during cooking.
Eggplant is a good natural remedy for lowering cholesterol, which can be used in recipes and juices or in capsule form.
- What to avoid eating to lower cholesterol: sugar, sweet breads, sweets in general, cakes, ice creams, sausage sausage, sausage and salami, fatty meats like bacon, bacon, guts and gizzards, yellow cheeses such as cheddar and mozzarella, margarine, frozen food such as pizza and lasagnas and fried foods in general.
Check out the nutritionist's tips for lowering high cholesterol:
Cholesterol Lowering Exercises
Physical activity helps in the treatment of cholesterol and heart disease because it helps to lose weight, increases the amount of muscle in the body and decreases stress. One should do aerobic exercises like walking or cycling daily, for about 30 to 60 minutes. It is also recommended to practice stretching exercises and exercises that increase muscle strength, such as bodybuilding.
It is also important that the individual take advantage of small opportunities of the day to be more active, such as going shopping, walking, using the stairs instead of the elevator and the escalator, and going out to dance. If you are not in the habit of practicing exercises, here is a good beginner walking workout.
Lifestyle changes
It is also important to stop smoking and avoid using any alcohol during the treatment of high cholesterol, because alcohol increases triglycerides and promotes weight gain. Quitting requires willpower, but it is possible and there are several treatments that can help in this process, such as the green tea cigarette and drop one cigarette each week, thus reducing nicotine addiction. Going for nicotine patches is also a way to quit smoking that brings good results.
In relation to alcoholic beverages it is recommended to drink only 1 glass of red wine daily before bed because it favors sleep and is rich in antioxidants that favor every organism. Beer, cachaça, caipirina and other alcoholic beverages are advised against but can be consumed in moderation on special days after the doctor's release.
Cholesterol Lowering Remedies
Treatment with cholesterol-lowering medicines should always be prescribed by your doctor. The onset of these medications depends on factors such as age, blood pressure, good cholesterol and triglycerides, whether you smoke or not, whether you have diabetes, and whether you have relatives with high cholesterol and heart disease.
Some remedies commonly used for the treatment of cholesterol are: Simvastatin, Atorvastatin, Lovastatin and Vytorin. The remedy to be chosen varies from person to person as it depends on factors like age and severity of the problem of high cholesterol. Check out some examples of cholesterol-lowering medicines.
A novelty in drug treatment was the approval of the drug called Praluent which consists of an injection that can be applied every 15 days or only once a month.
How To Increase HDL (Good)
To raise HDL (good) cholesterol, one should do exercises like walking or jogging at least 3 times a week. In addition, a diet should be done by reducing the consumption of red meat and processed products such as cakes, biscuits and chocolate, and increasing the consumption of fish such as sardines, tuna and salmon, foods rich in good fats such as avocado and nuts, besides putting olive oil in the salad.
Another common problem of those who have high cholesterol are high triglycerides. See: How to lower triglycerides to prevent heart attack.
