How to Lower Cholesterol - The Various High Cholesterol Treatment
You can lower your high cholesterol with 2 approaches, the naturally way or by modern day medications. It is important to know that by lower the high cholesterol level, we also reduce the risk of running into vascular disease like heart attack, stroke and other related health problems.
In most of the medical treatment of high cholesterol, it is usually targeted at lowering the level of bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol in the body. But for some, the combination of both lowering the bad cholesterol and increasing the level good cholesterol the HDL cholesterol may be needed. We look at the treatment process in this article.
The starting treatment before you start a cholesterol treatment, you need to know what your cholesterol levels are and what are the cholesterol ration. This is found out through a simple blood test at your doctor’s office. The numbers will give your doctor an idea of how bad your cholesterol is and how aggressive your treatment needs to be.
Usually the first thing your doctor will discussed with you, once you know your cholesterol level, is the dietary changes. A diet that comprised of low fats, high fiber like fresh foods, fruits and vegetables will be recommended. This will reduce the intake of the bad fats into your body.
The next step of your treatment will often include a look at your activity level. Exercise can help improve your good cholesterol levels and help you lose weight. If you are not following a regular exercise routine already, your doctor may recommend some activities for you to try.
A few people may need to start on medication right away. This includes people who have a medical history that includes coronary artery disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, as these people are at a higher risk for heart attack and stroke.
Your doctor will likely prescribe statin for people who need immediate medication. Statin has a effect of slowing down the production of cholesterol in the body this helps to reduce the complications that are associated with high cholesterol. There are situation where the medication prescribe are not from the statin family. These will help to prevent or reduce the amount of cholesterol that will be absorbed in your digestive system. If statin is used, do know that there could be possible side effects.
Continuing your treatment Once you have started a cholesterol-lowering treatment, your doctor will usually want to check your cholesterol periodically to see what sort of progress you are making. If you are attempting to lower cholesterol through diet alone, this will tell you if you need to add in a medication as well. If you are already on a medication, it will let you and your doctor know whether or not the dosing and medication are appropriate.
These checkups are a good time for you to talk to your doctor about any concerns that you might have. For instance, if you have difficulty with the diet, it may be recommended that you see a dietitian. If you have side effects from the medication, your doctor may want to change it. If exercise is hard because of another health condition, he or she can recommend alternatives.