Modern Health Observation

Elevated levels of cholesterol cause 60% of cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in Argentina, said today Sociedad Argentina de Cardiología (SAC).

A medical report presented at a press conference in this city, on the occasion to develop the “Heart Month”, pointed out that high cholesterol causes 18% of cerebrovascular disease and 59% of coronary artery disease.

Ricardo Iglesias, cardiologist SAC president, said that “despite these data, the good news is many of these diseases are preventable, and the vast majority are caused by an unhealthy lifestyle.”

Iglesias said that “smoking, physical inactivity and poor eating habits are cardiac risk factors, but taking simple preventive measures can reduce it and especially lowering levels of bad cholesterol.”

Cholesterol is a fatty substance essential to form cell membranes and produce certain hormones that is secreted by the liver and joins through food, particularly meat, eggs and whole milk products.

The organism is lipoprotein or bad cholesterol, LDL and HDL, or good, depending on the proteins to which it is attached.

Iglesias said that “when levels exceed the maximum recommended, the lipids accumulate in the blood vessels, which promotes hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis.

The specialist noted that “this clinical condition increases the risk of thrombosis and triples the risk of heart attack.”

The National Survey of Risk Factors of the Ministry of Health of the Nation indicated that in Argentina, 28% of the population over 20 years ever measured cholesterol reported having high levels of this lipid and in the group between 50 and 64, the rate increased to 37.3%.

Iglesias acknowledged that “unfortunately, in recent years, cholesterol levels are growing in population, both by increasing saturated fat in food as a sedentary lifestyle.”

The specialist isistió that “all this is due to changes in lifestyle: you use the car to go shopping at the supermarket down the street, entertainment found in malls and eating and smoking replaced to life outdoor sports. ”

“An example of healthy eating is the use, among other ingredients, phytosterols in the diet-details-natural plant compounds that are very similar to human cholesterol and are capable of partially blocking the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine.”

These components, he explained, “are present in our food, although in low proportions in products such as sunflower and soybean, also exist within functional foods such as dairy products enriched with phytosterols, where the concentration is much greater .

Doctors also recommend reducing consumption of foods rich in saturated fats and fried foods, fatty red meats, sausages, jams and chocolate, and increase consumption of fiber such as cereals and legumes, sea fish, fruits and vegetables.

The other axis of prevention is physical activity and in that sense, Iglesias said “naturally sedentary lifestyle should be fought from all fronts: one must walk wherever possible, get off a few blocks before reaching their destination and prefer stairs the elevator. ”

Cholesterol levels above 200 mg / dl, adding the good and bad, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and is recommended when initiating treatment to control the disease.