Cholesterol Research Paper

Cholesterol Research Paper | By: Diana Rivera | |

Cholesterol is a fatty, soft substance found in all of your body. The body needs it to work properly such as holding cells together and to also make hormones such as estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, vitamin D, and substances to help you digest foods. They body actually makes most of what it needs in the liver and the rest comes from food you eat such as meats, fish, eggs, butter, and whole milk. Bad cholesterol is considered when too much cholesterol circulates in the blood, it slowly builds up in the inner walls of the arteries which feeds the brain and heart. This can cause plaque when it comes together with other substances making it less flexible and narrowing the artery. If a clot is forms in a narrow artery this can cause a heart attack or stroke. The good cholesterol acts like scavengers in your body by picking up any excessive cholesterol and taking it back to the liver. Having high levels of good cholesterol also prevents you from having heart attack. When blood is collected the test tube is then placed in a centrifuge, which separates the whole blood from the plasma. The blood cell settles at the bottom of the test tube, and the plasma spins to the top, if cholesterol is detected you will see a fatty, thick substance, this test will be considered a qualitative test. There is a variety of factors that can influence blood cholesterol levels which include your diet, weight, exercise, age and gender, diabetes, heredity and certain medications or medical conditions. Cholesterol can’t be dissolved in the blood; they have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoprotein. There are two types of lipoprotein one of them is the Low-Density Lipoproteins which are known as the bad cholesterol that a physician will advise you to keep low. When low-density lipoprotein is at a high level it combines with other substances and form plaque in your arteries. This will slow your blood flow to heart, brain, and other organs in your body which can cause blood clots. The range for low-density lipoprotein is more than 100 and border risk line is 130 and more than 190. Our body also has high-density lipoprotein which is good cholesterol; our body produces for our protection. They get their name because they are thought to carry excess cholesterol away from arteries to the liver, which the body can eliminate. Those who have higher levels of HDL have fewer problems with cardiovascular disease, while other with lower levels has increased for heart disease. Some things you can do if your HDL is low are aerobic exercise, quit smoking and having a good healthy weight. Triglycerides are a type of lipid found in the bloods which are used as a source of energy after being converted by the liver. They are the end product of digesting and breaking down fats in meals.Triglycerides is developed from fatty acids found in foods and they are transported by the LDL. Normal levels are below 150, levels of 200 are high. Over all maintain a good healthy lifestyle can help you balance your cholesterol and reduce your risk for heart disease or even a stroke. Many people have dealt with having chronic high blood cholesterol levels.