Factors That Affect Cholesterol
There are other fats, hormones, and molecules in your blood that can affect your risk of heart disease. There are blood tests available for all of them. If you have more than one risk factor for heart disease, ask your doctor about tests for these factors.
Homocysteine
Homocysteine is a protein, or amino acid, which is usually made from the meat you eat when you are deficient in B vitamins. If blood levels of this molecule are too high, the interior artery walls will be damaged, increasing the probability of blood clots. Homocysteine auto-oxides in the blood, creating free radicals.
What you eat can have a big impact on your homocysteine levels. Folate, a B vitamin present in whole grains, cereals, oranges, broccoli, beets, and nuts, can help reduce homocysteine levels in the blood. Vitamin supplements containing folic acid (a synthetic variation of folate) are beneficial as well.
If you have a personal or family history of heart disease but don't have any other major risk factors (like smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol levels), your doctor should check your homocysteine levels.
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are the fats present in your bloodstream. When you eat more calories than your body can burn, these molecules are transformed into triglycerides and stored in fat cells.
Essential
Cholesterol is present in every cell in your body. In fact 10 to 20 percent of your brain tissue is made up of cholesterol. You need cholesterol to produce bile salts, which emulsify fats in the intestines. All of your cell membranes need cholesterol for permeability and to function properly. Finally, cholesterol is used to made vitamin D.
A diet very high in carbohydrates, especially simple carbs, may cause high triglyceride levels. High triglyceride levels are usually associated with generally high cholesterol levels and an increased risk of heart disease.
Normal triglyceride levels are 150 milligrams per decaliter (mg/dL), based on a fasting blood test. If you have uncontrolled diabetes, your triglyceride level will probably be very high, over 1000 mg/dL, and must be controlled.
Genetic Factors
There are a few compounds that may be influenced by genetic factors, which diet and exercise cannot help. If your blood cholesterol tests reveal that you have these compounds, talk to your doctor about prescription drugs that may help.
Very low density cholesterol, or VLDL, is a form of LDL cholesterol that is particularly harmful to your body. These molecules are smaller and denser than LDL cholesterol and have the highest amounts of triglycerides. Their level in the blood can't be directly measured, so is estimated as a percentage of triglyceride levels. The effects of this compound and how to control levels are being studied.
Fact
Lowering your cholesterol even by a small amount can have an impact on your health. Studies have shown that when cholesterol levels are lowered by 1 percent, there is a 2-percent decrease in the risk of heart disease. These encouraging numbers can help keep you motivated and stick to a plan.
Lp(a) cholesterol is a genetic variation of LDL cholesterol. A high level of this cholesterol is considered a significant risk factor for heart disease. Researchers are just beginning to study this molecule. It may cause fatty deposits to build up on artery walls, increasing the risk of a blood clot.
This molecule is very susceptible to oxidation, which is a process similar to rusting. Worse, the body may confuse Lp(a) cholesterol with plasminogen, a compound that helps break down blood clots, with disastrous results.
