Heart Disease
Heart disease is known within the medical community as coronary artery disease or CAD. This disease occurs whenever the arteries of the heart are hardened and/or narrowed because of various reasons. The main reason is high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol). Those people who have high levels of LDL cholesterol are at high risk for developing sudden, and possibly fatal, heart attacks.
Once a person has coronary artery disease they will always be at risk for heart attacks. Studies have shown that this condition can be controlled, and possibly even reversed, by increasing the levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). This is because there is plaque (built-up matter) on the inside of the walls of the arteries. HDL can clean up this plaque and send it off to the liver where it can be disposed off. When this happens, the risk of stroke or heart attack is then reduced.
Once a person turns 30-years-old doctors recommend that they have their cholesterol checked every three to five years. By doing so a person can know exactly when to take curative and preventive measures for heart disease. It is important that this be done as soon as possible.
If a person has already developed heart disease there are ways to slow and possibly even reverse the progress through the adoption of a healthy diet. Such a diet includes fiber, fruits, whole grains, and plenty of vitamins and minerals. The American Health Association (AHA) states that a person should have at least 25 grams of fiber per day. At the same time, a person should also avoid saturated fats, trans fats and hydrogenated oils because they accelerate the progress of heart disease.
To keep the risk of heart disease at bay a person needs to closely track their cholesterol level. Doctors suggest that a healthy ratio is one in which the ratio is for the total cholesterol to be no more than five times the HDL level, the total of which (HDL + LDL levels) should not exceed 200 mg/dl. A person should really try to lower their LDL cholesterol level and increase their HDL levels.
As can be seen, the best way in which to reverse heart disease is to increase the level of HDL cholesterol. A person can do this by avoiding saturated fats, alcohol, and smoking. At the same time it is also important to include regular exercise and techniques to help you lessen the stress in your life. Exercise is also known to reduce blood pressure which is also helpful if you have developed heart disease.