Do you know adults, older people and even children in United States have high cholesterol? According to CDC, in 2011–2012, 78 million U.S. adults (nearly 37%) had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels that fall in the range where experts recommend cholesterol medicine or had other health conditions putting them at high risk for heart disease and stroke. Slightly more than half of U.S. adults (55%, or 43 million) who need cholesterol medicine are currently taking it. 95 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have total cholesterol levels greater than 200 mg/dL. Nearly 29 million adult Americans have total cholesterol levels higher than 240 mg/dL. 7% of U.S. children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 have high total cholesterol.
Cholesterol has many functions in the body and it’s found in the outer layer of every human cell. Some of its function include aiding in cell membrane growth, production of estrogen and testosterone and production of bile. Cholesterol assists in metabolizing fat soluble vitamins in the body. As much as we focus on the dangers of cholesterol, we need to know it serves a vital purpose to the body. However, there is both good and bad cholesterol.
What High Cholesterol Affects the Body?
High cholesterol can have bad effect on your body and general health. One of consequences of high bad cholesterol is heart disease. When the arteries become blocked, they reduce blood and oxygen from flowing to the heart which in turn increases the risk of a heart attack or … Read More