The pain was almost unbearable.
With his right hand clutching the left side of his chest, he tried to reach
his medication and cry for help as well, but it was just too much to bear.
He dropped and passed out. Luckily for him, his wife who was downstairs,
heard that thumping sound when his 180-pound body hit the floor upstairs
and had the presence of mind to call 911. My friend Johnny, who has a passion
for ginataan and lechon, is overweight, but is still alive to tell his
story. For many others, who rubbed elbows with Johnny while going after
that blistetering bovine freshly off that Philippine made kawali,
were not as lucky. They are either dead or paralyzed.
Johnny had a “bad cholesterol”
level of 250 just a week prior to his painful ordeal.
What is Cholesterol?
According to the American Heart
Association, Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in all your
body’s cells. It is important to a healthy body, because it is used to
form cell membranes, some hormones and Vitamin D. But having too much of
it in your body can be a problem.
Cholesterol comes from two sources:
your body and the foods you eat. Blood cholesterol is made in your liver,
with enough quantities for your body’s needs. Dietary cholesterol
comes from animal foods such as meats, poultry, fish, seafood and dairy
products. Egg yolks and organ meats (liver & kidney) have lots of cholesterol;
they are key sources of cholesterol in a diet. Eating too much dietary
cholesterol can make your blood cholesterol go up.
Foods from plants (fruits, vegetables,
grains, nuts and seeds) don’t contain cholesterol.
Blood Cholesterol and Heart Disease
Cholesterol travels to the body’s
cells through the bloodstream. But cholesterol and other fats can’t dissolve
in the blood. They must travel to and from the cells by special carriers
call lipoproteins. There are several kinds of lipoproteins but the ones
we are concerned with are low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density
lipoprotein (HDL). Low density lipoprotein is the major cholesterol carrier
in the blood.
When you have too much
cholesterol (LDL) in your blood, the excess builds up on the walls of the
arteries that carry blood to the heart and brain. Together with other substances
it form a plaque - a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries.
This condition is called atherosclerosis.
If a clot forms where this plaque
is, it can block blood flow to part of the heart muscle and cause a heart
attack. If a clot blocks blood flow to part of the brain, a stroke (brain
attack) results.
A high level of LDL increases
the risk of heart disease, does the moniker “bad cholesterol”.
Why Is High Cholesterol a Health Risk?
High cholesterol is a serious
health risk because it can lead to coronary heart disease. Each year, coronary
heart disease kills more Americans than any other cause. More than 13 million
American have heart disease. These individuals have already had a heart
attack or experienced chest pain (angina).
Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Some of us obviously, have more
of a chance or risk of getting heart disease. Some of these risks you can
do something about. Some you can’t. The fewer risks you have, the less
chance you have of getting heart disease.
The Numbers Game
The numbers above each kind of
cholesterol are goals or guides for the average person. But, each of us
is different – with different risks, or chances, of getting a heart disease.
For example, if you already have heart disease, your goal for LDL cholesterol
is 100 or below. Your physician should tell you what goals are for
lowering your levels based on your risk for heart disease.
How will I have to change my diet?
Changes in diet should be your
first step in lowering your cholesterol. Limit the amount of fat, especially
saturated fat, in your diet. Eat more low-fat, low-cholesterol foods, such
as fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals,
pasta, and yes, rice. Fish, skinless chicken, lean meats and fat-free dairy
products are also good choices.
Stay away from alcohol for it
can also increase you cholesterol.
But watch out - cholesterol-free
foods, especially processed foods, can still be high in fat. Read food
labels to avoid both fat and cholesterol.
How much you eat is just as
important as what you eat. Obviously, the more food you eat (even
low-fat foods), the more calories you eat as well!
Fat-burner!
Exercise! It will give you more
energy and at the same time, will help lower your cholesterol.
Find something you like to do and
do it often. Walking is a simple exercise to get you started. Learn to
do the “todo todo” or the swing and do it more often.
I f you are lazy to exercise
by yourself, find a friend to exercise with. Basta friends lang so it does
not interrupt your exercise routines! Besides, if you are overweight, exercise
can help you lower cholesterol and lose weight too, di ba?
Talk to your doctor before you begin an exercise
program (or how to lose weight safely, if you have to).
Remember, high cholesterol is
something you can lower or control but cannot cure. You have to keep working
at keeping your cholesterol low.
Don’t become part of the statistics.
But before you start working miracles, let me share with you another story.
When then Secretary of Tourism designate,
now Congressman Eduardo Pilapil, a Bicolano who went up before then Senator
Ernesto Maceda’s Commission on Appointments for confirmation, Pilapil had
the distinction of being by-passed three times and eventually lost the
job. Months later after that square-off at the Batasang Pambansa, Senator
Maceda– an avid smoker had the unfortunate experience of having to go through
a quadruple bypass operation in the US.
Maceda’s operation was big news then
and apparently, did not escape someone who was quoted as saying,
“Mamatian mo man an kulog kan ma-bypass!”
