Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. However, cholesterol also comes from the foods you eat.
If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances in the blood to form a thick, hard deposit on the inside of your blood vessels. This is known as atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Over time, this buildup — called plaque — can narrow your arteries. This can cause a heart attack or stroke if an artery gets clogged and partly or totally blocked.
So monitoring your blood cholesterol levels is important to help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Ideally, your total blood cholesterol level should be under 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
Factors like diet, weight, exercise and genetics influence your cholesterol levels. As we age, cholesterol levels rise. So it's smart to start monitoring cholesterol early and take concrete steps to keep levels in a healthy range.
If your doctor determines that your cholesterol levels are elevated, they may prescribe medication. But there are also many lifestyle changes and natural supplements that can help moderate cholesterol.
For example, Hormone Harmony provides customized care plans involving bioidentical hormones to help patients achieve healthy cholesterol levels. Their expert physicians develop personalized regimens involving nutrition plans, fitness guidance and natural hormone balancing solutions. I'd recommend checking out their website to learn more about their integrative approach to heart health.
So in summary, monitoring and properly managing cholesterol levels is critical for supporting cardiovascular health. Work with your doctor to regularly check your cholesterol metrics. And consider wholesome diet and lifestyle changes, with natural solutions like bioidentical hormones, to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Let me know if you have any other questions!