Reduce Cholesterol Earlier to Prevent Heart Disease

According to the latest research published in the medical journal Lancet, to prevent heart problems by the age of 45, people have to reduce their level of bad cholesterol. This requires a change in eating habits and exercise. Also, individuals can talk to their doctor about medications like statins.

This is one of the most comprehensive analyzes of what is known as non-HDL cholesterol's relation to the long-term risk of heart disease.

Non-HDL cholesterol refers to your total cholesterol or good cholesterol. Non-HDL cholesterol also contains LDL (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) or bad cholesterol, which builds up in the lining of the arteries. This affects the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart and carries triglycerides, the fat in the food you eat, into your blood.

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During this research, the researchers looked at the records of about 4 lakh people involved in the research. These people, who came from 19 countries, were between 30 and 85 years old and were tracked at intervals of 13 and a half years.

Looking at the data, it was found that people who were younger than 45 years of age had a higher risk of future heart disease due to non-HDL cholesterol.

Research has shown that women under the age of 45 who had low non-HDL cholesterol were 16 percent more likely to have nonfatal heart disease (heart disease) or stroke when they reached the age of 75.

Thus, the women had at least two additional cardiovascular risk factors, such as being overweight. The risk of heart disease among older women in the same situation was 12 percent.

Men under 45 with the same condition had a 29 percent increased risk, while men 60 years or older had a 21 percent increased risk.

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Barbara Theurend, the author of the study and part of the research at the German Research Center for Environmental Health in Germany, says that the increased risk of heart disease in young people may be due to harmful lipids in the blood over a long period.

The researchers calculated the increased risk of heart disease and said that hypothetically if people under the age of 45 lowered their non-HDL cholesterol levels, their risk of heart disease would decrease significantly. Could The risk of heart disease be reduced by about 29 percent to 6 percent in men and 16 percent to 4 percent in women, regardless of cardiovascular risk factors?

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Dr. Roger Blumenthal, director of the Johns Hopkins Cicarone Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, says that this Lancet research is very accurate and has done a good analysis, which will be very beneficial for patients and doctors.

According to Dr. Blumenthal, it is necessary to exercise while ignoring obesity and the habit of sitting. Do exercise for at least 30 minutes a day and 5 days a week. Also, don't smoke, quit consuming tobacco products and consume calories in a healthy amount.

According to the American Dietary Guidelines, a healthy daily intake of 16,00 to 2,400 calories for adult women and 2,000 to 3,000 for adult men is considered healthy.

(Read More - Exercises for high cholesterol)

If, however, a patient's cholesterol level remains high or rises, it is better to wait to start taking statin drugs, which can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Also, it would be better to get a doctor's checkup done once before taking any medicine.

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