Table of Contents
Introduction
Clean arteries are a sign of good heart health. If your arteries are clean, this means that you have a low level of LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol can build up in arteries and form plaque, which can narrow arteries and make it harder for blood to flow. This can increase your risk of heart disease.
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Why focus on having clean arteries rather than lowering cholesterol?
It is believed that if excess LDL is present in the blood then it may deposit in arteries. This process is called as atherosclerosis.
Excess ldl damages the arteries first and then form a deposit or the arteries are already damaged and ldl starts depositing in arteries is not clearly mentioned by the medical community.
Does LDL has the capacity to damage the arteries? That too when it’s levels are higher and not when its levels are normal!
Let’s be not concerned whether LDL damages arteries or not. One thing is sure. That is, if your arteries are are healthy, there is no obstruction to blood flow of any type, then your cholesterol levels are normal. By normal levels I mean to say that your lipid profile is normal. HDL and total cholesterol levels are also normal. If you ensure to keep your blood vessels healthy then you can have healthy cholesterol levels, no atherosclerosis, no heart attack or stroke.
Therefore we should focus more on arterial health rather than lowering cholesterol. Certain non-invasive tests are also there to find out the status of our arteries.
Lowering cholesterol does not ensure arterial health
Many of us go to the doctor only when we have some symptoms of heart disease like fatigue. By that time considerable amount of plaque has been built up in arteries.
i) When we lower cholesterol, only cholesterol levels may decrease but the plaque remains as such. The cholesterol levels do not become normal because HDL levels may be lower. Generally it is on the lower side.
ii) The process of atherosclerosis is reduced when on cholesterol lowering drugs, but it is not completely stopped. Only the rate of deposition is reduced but arterial health will not be 100% healthy. So, when ldl levels decrease after taking statin drugs our arteries are not completely unclogged.
iii) A method that ensures removal of plaque and repairing artery at the same time will help normalize cholesterol levels. It well also help normalize emerging risk factors like lp (a)
Difference between normal cholesterol and high cholesterol levels
Normal levels:
Normal cholesterol levels vary depending on your age, sex, and other factors. However, in general, a
- Total cholesterol level of less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) is considered normal.
- An LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dL is considered ideal, and a
- HDL cholesterol level of 60 mg/dL or higher is considered desirable.[ ref: 1 ]
High cholesterol levels
High cholesterol levels are defined as:
- Total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher
- LDL cholesterol level of 130 mg/dL or higher
- HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg/dL or lower
What are clean arteries?
Clean arteries are arteries that are free of plaque buildup. Plaque is a fatty substance that can build up in arteries and narrow them. This can make it harder for blood to flow, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
There are three type of arteries, Coronary arteries, carotid arteries and peripheral arteries. Clogging of coronary artery gives rise to coronary artery disease. Clogging of carotid artery gives rise to stroke. clogging of peripheral artery leads to peripheral artery disease.
Unclogging the arteries by a suitable treatment method will help arteries that are healthy and free from arterial plaque.
Use of statins, cholesterol lowering foods, cholesterol lowering diet, sterols and stanols are methods that may lower cholesterol but they do not remove arterial plaque nor repair the damaged arteries. Repairing the damaged arteries with nutritional supplements like lypro-c will normalize cholesterol levels as well reverse heart disease.
Can lowering cholesterol Reduce the risk of heart disease or heart attack?
Double benefit on keeping arteries clean.
Keeping your arteries clean has the double benefit of normalizing your cholesterol levels and reducing your risk of heart disease.
This is the only way to normalize cholesterol levels.
Your cholesterol levels will not be normal by following the method of lowering cholesterol by drugs, diet or foods that lower cholesterol.
The blood vessels play a great role in supplying the the nutrients to all the 37 trillion cells that are present in our body. Better circulation leads to improved nutrient delivery to all tissues including the heart and brain.
Conclusion
There is direct relation between our vascular health and cholesterol levels. If our arteries are clean then our cholesterol levels will be normal and we will be free from heart disease and stroke. However, if we focus on lowering cholesterol, then LDL cholesterol levels may come down but overall the lipid levels will be abnormal. The process of atherosclerosis will be an ongoing process and whatever deposit was present in the arteries, that deposit will remain there as such.
References
Increased levels of Lipoprotein(a) can raise the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease: Study https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/increased-levels-of-lipoprotein-a-can-raise-the-risk-of-recurrent-coronary-heart-disease-study-101687149499931.html
- Cholesterol Numbers and What They Mean https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean