Some of these risk factors can be changed to reduce your chance of C.H.D. Where as others cannot.
“ The more risk a person has, the higher the chance of C.H.D. The combined effect is greater than just the sum of each individual risk factor.”
(A Quote by Health Which? February 2004.)
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for the body in small amounts. Cholesterol is produced in the liver and some is also obtained from the diet.
“ One in two people in the u.k have a high blood cholesterol level, one in five have very high level.”
(Which? Way to health June 2003.)
If you have a lot of cholesterol in your blood some of it sticks to the surface of the artery wall. Plaques containing cholesterol gradually build up and narrow the artery, making it hard for the blood to flow.
LDL- Bad cholesterol is carried around the bloodstream by proteins called lipoproteins. High levels of LDL increase the risk of blood clots and blockage of the artery. You can reduce your LDL cholesterol by making changes to your diet and lifestyle.
HDL- Good cholesterol helps to carry cholesterol away from arteries and other body tissues to the liver where the cholesterol is broken down.
“High Blood Cholesterol levels are a contributory factor in 46% of coronary heart disease deaths.”
(This was a quote in the Irish news by Nigel Hawkes, august 2004.)
It confirms that we must start now to lower our cholesterol levels, the only way to do this is a healthy eating along with a healthy lifestyle. The only way to tell if you have high cholesterol is to have a blood test, but sometimes a person with high cholesterol is to have yellow nodules within their skin, which are collections of excess fat. They may also have a white mark on the surface of the eye. Occasionally medicine is needed to lower your cholesterol, which will be prescribed by a doctor.
“ Healthy eating can lower cholesterol and help protect against heart disease. It can also reduce the risk of other diseases, including cancer.”
(This was a quote from ‘which?’ way to health, June 1999.)
So not only are you protecting your heart but your body from other diseases also.
I asked my auntie if enough was being done to publicise the risks of C.H.D.? She said
No because at 43 she still didn’t know the risks of C.H.D. or how to prevent heart disease. She also said that there should be more advertising on e.g. Television about the risks surrounding C.H.D.
I also asked my friend the same thing, and she said she knew also about C.H.D. because someone in her family had suffered from heart disease, but before this she was not really aware of the causes or effects of heart disease.
I think my auntie had this viewpoint maybe because she wasn’t looking for information on C.H.D., there are many leaflets and books out there containing all the information on the risks of C.H.D. as I was researching this topic I found many books in bookshops and the library on heart disease however they were quiet expensive which might influence people when buying books. Unless you had a particular interest you would not choose this type of reading.
In my opinion my friend has this viewpoint because someone in her family had C.H.D. so she would be well aware of everything about it. In my opinion C.H.D. is a well publicised disease but I think more effort should be put into educating on prevention rather than the cure, also should be in the media more rather than people having to go and research it, they will only do this once its to late. The main problem is motivating people to take responsibility for their own health and taking positive steps in preventing C.H.D.
