Facts About Cholesterol And High Blood Pressure To Prevent Heart Disease

We’ve all heard that too much of anything is bad, it applies to the cholesterol in our body as well. Too much cholesterol can cause severe health issues, such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke. Cardiovascular disease increases the risk of cardiac emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack. These are life-threatening emergencies, and a victim would require immediate treatment for survival.

Proper application of the life-saving CPR technique is the most appropriate treatment in this regard. Select a certified training site for acquiring training, such as the AHA certified CPR Kansas City. Certified instructors conduct the classes through a series of audio and video lectures and hands-on practice.

Cholesterol- Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by the liver to make hormones, vitamin D and substances that help with digestion, meaning cholesterol helps your body function. Our body creates just the right amount of cholesterol, but most people have that in excess in their bodies due to consumption of foods like meat, poultry and dairy products. Excess cholesterol can accumulate and eventually form plaque in the body’s arteries, which can make it difficult for oxygenated blood to pass through and carry nutrients to the rest of the body, straining your ticker thus increasing your blood pressure (BP).

Keep your cholesterol levels in check by taking a blood test called a lipoprotein panel that determines whether or not your body’s cholesterol levels fall into the healthy range. The panel measures the amount of LDL or “bad” cholesterol that causes accumulation of plaque with less than 100 mg/dL being healthiest, and more 160 mg/dL being dangerous to your health. Talking about HDL or “good” cholesterol, less than 40 mg/dL puts you at risk of heart disease whereas more than 60 mg/dL is considered healthy and protects against cardiovascular disease.

High Blood Pressure- High blood pressure (HBP), sometimes known as hypertension occurs when your blood vessels become damaged when the ticker is forced to work too hard to pump blood through the arteries. Accumulation of cholesterol just adds to the problem since its plaque blocks the arteries that transport oxygen and blood.

It is in the form of ratio that BP is recorded, where the top number of the ratio is called the systolic that measures pressure of the arteries when the ticker beats while the bottom number of the ratio is called diastolic that measures the pressure in the arteries in between heartbeats. A normal BP consists of a systolic number less than 120 and a diastolic number less than 80 whereas systolic numbers of 140 or higher and diastolic numbers of 90 or higher are signs of hypertension.

The fact that HBP and high cholesterol are considered the major risk factors can be attributed to their direct affect on one of the most important organs in the human body- your ticker.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is the key to healthy levels of blood pressure and cholesterol, which involves quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and following a healthy diet low in sodium.

To sign up for a CPR course at CPR Kansas City, call on 913-998-7499.