Is exercise effective in lowering cholesterol? Eating less red meat is the only solution? Doctor: "Arteriosclerosis analysis" helps identify potential risks
Controlling the “three highs” is the key to controlling health. In addition to medications, many people want to lower cholesterol through exercise, but the results are often quite limited. Dr. Shi Yizhong, director of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at Lian An Clinic, explained that lowering cholesterol is mainly related to diet, and exercise alone has limited effect. It is recommended that people avoid “animal saturated fatty acids” in their diet, that is, fat-rich “red meat”, to prevent the liver from synthesizing excessive cholesterol.
High cholesterol linked to cardiovascular disease! It is safe to control the 4 major indicators within “this range”
Dr. Shi Yizhong pointed out that there are usually four indicators of “blood fat” in health examination reports: total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides (TG). Except for the high-density lipoprotein value, which should not be too low, if the other three are not properly controlled, cholesterol will easily accumulate in the endothelial layer of blood vessels, forming atherosclerotic plaques, narrowing blood vessels, and significantly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
At what level should cholesterol be controlled to be safe? Dr. Shi Yizhong said that if you are an average healthy person, you can refer to the following ideal ranges for the 4 indicators:
Total cholesterol: less than 200 mg/dL.
Triglycerides: less than 150 mg/dL.
Low-density lipoprotein: less than 130 mg/dL.
High-density lipoprotein: greater than 40mg/dL for men and greater than 50mg/dL for women.
It should be noted that the above values are not the only standards. The ideal cholesterol value varies from person to person. Dr. Shi Yizhong gave an example. If the low-density lipoprotein is greater than 190 mg/dL, the National Health Insurance will pay for cholesterol-lowering drugs. For those who have had myocardial infarction and have received stents, the cholesterol standards will become more stringent, and the National Health Insurance hopes to control the value more closely. Low, aim to be less than 70 mg/dL to avoid the chance of future acute cardiovascular disease attacks.
Avoid “animal fatty acids” if your cholesterol is too high. Doctors urge you to eat less red meat and eat more of 3 types of foods
In addition to relying on drugs to lower cholesterol, is it effective to “change eating habits”? Dr. Shi Yizhong said that in the past, it was believed that people with cardiovascular disease problems should avoid high-cholesterol foods such as egg yolks, seafood, and pork liver. However, recent studies have found that dietary cholesterol only accounts for 20% of the body’s cholesterol. It is obvious that its main source is the liver. Synthesize into many.
To prevent the liver from synthesizing too much cholesterol, you need to pay attention to “animal saturated fatty acids” in your diet, which are commonly found in lard, butter and mutton fat, including the popular pork belly slices and snowflakes slices. Dr. Shi Yizhong suggests that people with high cholesterol should avoid oily red meats such as snowflake beef, wagyu beef, and triple-layer meat. It is recommended to eat beef tendons to supplement protein and iron. For oils, fish oil and bitter fish oil rich in Omega-3 should be avoided. Tea oil or linseed oil are the main ones.
In addition to dietary adjustments, people can also supplement healthy foods that are beneficial to lowering cholesterol. For example, “catechins” and “polyphenols” in green tea can help lower blood lipids; regular consumption of oatmeal or red yeast rice supplements can also prevent the body from Accumulation of excess cholesterol. If strict dietary control is adopted, cholesterol levels can be expected to change after 3 months.
Does cholesterol also have “high or low quality”? “Arteriosclerosis Analysis” helps patients identify potential risks
Dr. Shi Yizhong reminded that the cholesterol in the body has “high and low quality”. Even if the relevant values are normal, there is still a risk of plaque formation in blood vessels. Therefore, through the “atherosclerosis progression analysis” test, we can understand the composition and quality of cholesterol in the body.
Dr. Shi Yizhong said that all indicators related to cholesterol production such as “ApoA1” (one of the raw materials for manufacturing HDL), “ApoB” (a factor involved in the production of LDL), and “sdLDL” (small and dense LDL) are harmful to the human body. maximum), can be detected through arterial progression analysis to ensure that the cholesterol composition in the body is normal.
Finally, Dr. Shi Yizhong called on people over the age of 45 not to have high cholesterol, because the body is already low on cholesterol, and if it accumulates too much, it will become “garbage in the cardiovascular system.” Therefore, it is recommended that the public actively undergo health check-ups and have their physical condition evaluated by a doctor so that they can understand the prevention goals of high cholesterol, and then avoid sudden cardiovascular diseases through personalized adjustments to lifestyle habits, diet, and exercise.
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