High Cholesterol: Silent killer of young generation

Many adults in their 20s don’t believe that they have a high cholesterol until they see their reports. High cholesterol is adults is very alarming and silent killer. You cannot judge a person by their physique if they have high or low cholesterol.

High Cholesterol

Earlier, high cholesterol was usually observed in old age people who eat fried or junk food too much. But the last decade has changed the scenario completely. This is basically due to changes in lifestyle and eating habits. Earlier packed food was not easily available, and people relied on home cooked food. Now easy availability of things and no physical activity led to high cholesterol in young adults.

 What does cholesterol do to the human body?

Cholesterol is waxy liquid which made by liver which is used to produce hormones, vitamins, and bile juices. It is also very helpful in digestion. There are 2 types of cholesterol 1.HDL (High density lipoproteins) 2. LDL (Low density lipoproteins). High density lipoproteins is good cholesterol which is required in our bodies for proper functioning. This type of cholesterol can be obtained from dry fruits, olive oil and from fish as well.

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is a bad cholesterol. This is the one which is affecting our body and raising many health problems. High levels of LDL in the body lead to heart problems, thickening of arteries.

The level of HDL in the body should be around 50mg/DL. The level of LDL should be kept as low as possible. The value of LDL between 130 to 159 mg/DL categorized as ‘borderline high, 160 to 189 mg/DL categorized as ‘high’ and the reading of LDL more than 190 categorized as ‘very high’.

What causes high cholesterol in young ones?

As we briefly discussed earlier, high cholesterol starts in the body due to our new lifestyle and our dietary habits. We should eat a more fiber rich diet and do exercise daily. In this way, we can control bad cholesterol and maintain good health.As cases of high cholesterol are rising in the young people we should do regular check up of our body before turning 30. In this way we can monitor the cholesterol levels and start working towards it.High smoking and drinking also lead to LDL in the body. We Indians consume very heavy dinners which led to this scenario.

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