Post by mad_doc on Jan 11, 2005 20:30:35 GMT 8
we'll have to take this in parts coz this topic is kinda long and complicated
Keeping Cholesterol Under Control
by John Henkel
Cholesterol is the Jekyll and Hyde of the body.
Like the literary split personality, it has a good side because it is needed for certain important body functions. But for many people, cholesterol also has an evil side. When present in excess amounts, it can injure blood vessels and cause heart attacks and stroke.
The body needs cholesterol for digesting dietary fats, making hormones, building cell walls, and other important processes. The bloodstream carries cholesterol in particles called lipoproteins that are like blood-borne cargo trucks delivering cholesterol to various body tissues to be used, stored or excreted. But too much of this circulating cholesterol can injure arteries, especially the coronary ones that supply the heart. This leads to accumulation of cholesterol-laden "plaque" in vessel linings, a condition called atherosclerosis.
When blood flow to the heart is impeded, the heart muscle becomes starved for oxygen, causing chest pain (angina). If a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery affected by atherosclerosis, a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or death can occur.
simply put..... imagine a brake cable system with the cholesterol being the grime that makes it less efficient. there will come a time when enough of it accumulates... collects into a gunk... and ruins your ride because it jams the brakes
Keeping Cholesterol Under Control
by John Henkel
Cholesterol is the Jekyll and Hyde of the body.
Like the literary split personality, it has a good side because it is needed for certain important body functions. But for many people, cholesterol also has an evil side. When present in excess amounts, it can injure blood vessels and cause heart attacks and stroke.
The body needs cholesterol for digesting dietary fats, making hormones, building cell walls, and other important processes. The bloodstream carries cholesterol in particles called lipoproteins that are like blood-borne cargo trucks delivering cholesterol to various body tissues to be used, stored or excreted. But too much of this circulating cholesterol can injure arteries, especially the coronary ones that supply the heart. This leads to accumulation of cholesterol-laden "plaque" in vessel linings, a condition called atherosclerosis.
When blood flow to the heart is impeded, the heart muscle becomes starved for oxygen, causing chest pain (angina). If a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery affected by atherosclerosis, a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or death can occur.
simply put..... imagine a brake cable system with the cholesterol being the grime that makes it less efficient. there will come a time when enough of it accumulates... collects into a gunk... and ruins your ride because it jams the brakes