Cholesterol and Smoking
Is Smoking and High Cholesterol Related?
There are a lot of people who have to get the level of cholesterol down in their blood. A medical professional can test your blood and this will let you know if you have an elevated level of cholesterol and what you can do about this. There are now home cholesterol tests you can get without going to the doctor’s office. Usually cholesterol and smoking are closely related and your physician will most likely suggest that you do what is necessary and stop smoking.
Quit Smoking and Diet
If you can keep your cholesterol under control by modifying your diet, you will need to stop smoking. When your doctor first tells you that your cholesterol is high, this will be the first approach that will be suggested. Your doctor can provide you with some information regarding the type of diet and some suggestions on how to quit smoking to get you cholesterol under control. If you don't feel like you can make the suggested dietary changes and stop smoking on your own. There are many resources available like, a nutritionist and many methods the quit smoking.
The Nutritionist Can Light the Way
A nutritionist will enlighten you with the relationship between cholesterol and diet. You can learn what foods you should not eat and the ones that are very helpful to have in your diet. Just get informed about foods that are good for your heart is the best thing you can do to achieve better health.
What is the Relationship With Cholesterol and Smoking?
Cigarette smoking raises the overall cholesterol level in the blood stream. What happens in the blood is it decreases the High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) form of cholesterol which is more protective while elevating the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL) forms which are the dangerous forms. When people quit smoking they see a drop in overall cholesterol level very quickly which is good. But what is even better is a more significant shift in the HDL ratios. The way to keep these benefits over time is more oxygen and cleaner the lungs also decrease the workload on the heart.
Smoking affects Blood Cholesterol Levels
Smoking slightly increases total cholesterol and triglycerides, and significantly decreases the "good" or HDL cholesterol. When you add this together with the toxic effects of cigarette smoke it leads to damage of the blood vessels in the heart and legs. Smoking doubles an individual's risk of heart attack and level of blood cholesterol.
Smoking, introduces 4000 chemical additives, and affects every part of our bodies. These chemicals do not provide any help to our body processes. These chemical were added to cigarettes to improve the flavor and smell, and keep you coming back for more.
