eLanka

Friday, 3 Oct 2025
  • Home
  • Read History
  • Articles
    • eLanka Journalists
  • Events
  • Useful links
    • Obituaries
    • Seeking to Contact
    • eLanka Newsletters
    • eLanka Testimonials
    • Sri Lanka Newspapers
    • Sri Lanka TV LIVE
    • Sri Lanka Radio
    • eLanka Recepies
  • Gallery
  • Contact
Newsletter
  • eLanka Weddings
  • Property
  • eLanka Shop
  • Business Directory
eLankaeLanka
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Read History
  • Articles
    • eLanka Journalists
  • Events
  • Useful links
    • Obituaries
    • Seeking to Contact
    • eLanka Newsletters
    • eLanka Testimonials
    • Sri Lanka Newspapers
    • Sri Lanka TV LIVE
    • Sri Lanka Radio
    • eLanka Recepies
  • Gallery
  • Contact
Follow US
© 2005 – 2025 eLanka Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Home » Blog » Articles » What Is Cholesterol? Dr Hector Perera London
ArticlesDr Hector Perera

What Is Cholesterol? Dr Hector Perera London

admin
Last updated: October 29, 2017 1:07 pm
By
admin
Share
10 Min Read
SHARE

What Is Cholesterol?

Dr Hector Perera London

 

To understand high blood cholesterol, it helps to learn about cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of the body.

More Read

Nikhil Chaudhary
Former Indian state cricketer, Nikhil Chaudhary is turning head in Australian domestic cricket for Tasmania in Season 2025-26
Eng (Dr.) Ray Wijewardena Memorial Oration 2025 – by Lalith Seneviratne
7 Most Colorful Birds in the World and Where They Live – By Malsha – eLanka

Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. However, cholesterol also is found in some of the foods you eat. Butter, ghee, hard margarines, lard, dripping and goose fat, fatty meat and meat products such as sausages, Full fat cheese, milk, cream and yogurt, Coconut and palm oils and coconut cream. These food are supposed to have lots of bad cholesterol but if we limit the amount we eat then it would not do much harm.

Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fibre foods

Oatmeal contains soluble fibre, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” cholesterol. Soluble fibre is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes. Soluble fibre can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream.

Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in small packages called lipoproteins (lip-o-PRO-teens). These packages are made of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside. Two kinds of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Having healthy levels of both types of lipoproteins is important. LDL cholesterol sometimes is called “bad” cholesterol. A high LDL level leads to a build-up of cholesterol in your arteries. (Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your body.) HDL cholesterol sometimes is called “good” cholesterol. This is because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver removes the cholesterol from your body.

What Is High Blood Cholesterol?

High blood cholesterol is a condition in which you have too much cholesterol in your blood. By itself, the condition usually has no signs or symptoms. Thus, many people don’t know that their cholesterol levels are too high.

People who have high blood cholesterol have a greater chance of getting coronary heart disease also called coronary artery disease. The higher the level of LDL cholesterol in your blood, the GREATER your chance is of getting heart disease. The higher the level of HDL cholesterol in your blood, the LOWER your chance is of getting heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is a condition in which plaque builds up inside the coronary (heart) arteries. Plaque is made up of cholesterol, fat, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. When plaque builds up in the arteries, the condition is called atherosclerosis. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your coronary arteries. This limits the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture (break open). This causes a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block blood flow through a coronary artery. If the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your heart muscle is reduced or blocked, angina or a heart attack may occur.

Angina is chest pain or discomfort. It may feel like pressure or squeezing in your chest. The pain also may occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. Angina pain may even feel like indigestion.

A heart attack occurs if the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a section of heart muscle is cut off. If blood flow isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle begins to die. Without quick treatment, a heart attack can lead to serious problems or death.
Plaque also can build up in other arteries in your body, such as the arteries that bring oxygen-rich blood to your brain and limbs. This can lead to problems such as carotid artery disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.

Recommended normal cholesterol levels in the UK

More Read

Australia’s Oldest Man Ever
Ken Weeks, Australia’s Oldest Man Ever, To celebrate 112th Birthday
In Loving Memory of David Jonklaas (09 Sep 1942 – 30 Sep 2025)
In Loving Memory of Imtiaz Issadeen – A Visionary Leader, Scholar, and Beloved Friend – By Dr Harold Gunatillake

NHS guidelines recommend that total cholesterol levels should be 5mmol/L or less for healthy adults, and 4mmol/L or less for those at high risk. But what is a normal cholesterol level when it comes to LDL-cholesterol guidelines? Well, out of this total, LDL-cholesterol levels should be below 3mmol/L for healthy adults, and 2mmol/L or less for those at high risk. According to NHS figures for the UK in 2011, around half of all people over the age of 18 have a total cholesterol level above the recommended level of 5mmol/L. It is recommended that you have 1mmol/L of HDL-cholesterol (“good cholesterol”) in your blood.

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are another type of fatty substance in the blood. Like LDL cholesterol (the bad type), triglycerides are also bad. They’re found in foods such as dairy products, meat and cooking oils. They can also be produced in the body, either by the body’s fat stores or in the liver. Ideally, your triglyceride level should be less than 1.7 mmol/l.

If you have high triglyceride levels, you may have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease than people with lower levels. If you are very overweight, eat a lot of fatty and sugary foods, or drink too much alcohol, you are more likely to have a high triglyceride level.

Eat a healthy balanced diet

Eating lots of fruit, vegetables, and wholegrain is better than eating foods high in saturated or trans fats. You can replace saturated fats with the healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spreads. Choose foods that are high in soluble fibre such as oats, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Soluble fibre can help lower cholesterol.

Do regular exercise

Regular physical activity can help increase your HDL cholesterol (the good type of cholesterol). Staying active is great way to keep your heart healthy. When I mentioned about exercises, it does not mean to lift weights in a gym but a simple one such as walking is a good exercise. If possible walking in a park is an advantage because of fresh air. Busy cities have polluted air with dust particles and toxic air from vehicles. No wonder some people prefer to live in countryside.

Quit smoking

Anyone can mention this term even hundreds of times but some people turn a blind eye or deaf ear to these terms. I have seen some people smoke just outside the hospital entrance and some people were on wheel chairs, perhaps they are not aware of the disadvantages of smoking. They may be smoking due to sheer habit. Quitting smoking can help to lower your cholesterol and improve your heart health. I am sure you all heard that smoking is bad but however much it is mentioned that smoking is bad for your health, still people smoke at home, in the office also in pubs and restaurants also when their friends and families get together for a meal. If you happened to go pass a pub then you would notice, lots of people smoke followed by a drink such as a beer. I have my doubts some people would stop smoking altogether.

Will I need to take medication?

Whether or not you need to take cholesterol-lowering medicine depends on your overall risk of cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol-lowering medicines such as statins are prescribed for people who are at greatest overall risk of cardiovascular disease. If you have questions about your medicines, speak with your doctor. Statins are the medications to lower your cholesterol and there are several types of Statins that include: Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Fluvastatin (Lescol), Lovastatin, Pitavastatin (Livalo), Pravastatin (Pravachol), Rosuvastatin (Crestor) and Simvastatin (Zocor). Your doctor would decide which one is suitable for you.

Will eating too many eggs raise my cholesterol?

For most people, the amount of saturated fat they eat has much more of an impact on their cholesterol than eating foods that contain cholesterol, like eggs, liver, kidneys and shellfish. Unless you have been told otherwise by your doctor or dietician, if you like eggs, they can be included as part of a balanced and varied diet. Your comments are welcomed perera6@hotmail.co.uk

TAGGED:What Is Cholesterol? Dr Hector Perera London
Share This Article
Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Eating Red Meat is Bad News – Written by Dr harold Gunatillakehealth writer
Next Article Health and views October 3rd issue 2017 Health Education for Sri Lankans & others
FacebookLike
YoutubeSubscribe
LinkedInFollow
Most Read
10 Pictures With Fascinating Stories Behind Them!

“A PICTURE SPEAKS A 1000 WORDS” – By Des Kelly

Look past your thoughts so you may drink the pure nectar of this moment

A Life Hack for when we’re Burnt Out & Broken Down – By Uma Panch

Narration of the History of our Proud Ancestral (Orang Jawa) Heritage. by Noor R. Rahim

eLanka Weddings

eLanka Marriage Proposals

Noel News

Noel News

Noel News

Noel News- By Noel Whittaker

EILEEN MARY SIBELLE DE SILVA (nee DISSANAYAKE) – 29 September 1922 – 6 April 2018 – A Woman of Value an Appreciation written by Mohini Gunasekera

K.K.S. Cement Factory

Dr.Harold Gunatillake’s 90th Birthday party

Sri Lanka's women's cricket squad in Melbourne

Cricket: Sri Lanka’s women’s squad in Melbourne

- Advertisement -
Ad image
Related News
Articles

LCC MEDIA RELEASE – Liverpool’s Starry Sari Night – where cultures shine together

Articles

LCC MEDIA RELEASE: Dear Belly: you need an appetite for the arts at Liverpool

Potential Reactions of Benjamin Netanyahu to the Establishment of a Palestinian State
Articles Dr Harold Gunatillake

Potential Reactions of Benjamin Netanyahu to the Establishment of a Palestinian State – Dr Harold Gunatillake

Kaleidoscope 282 , Child Protection, Maja’s Story, Record Tea, Market Update, High Bridge & more Shorter
Articles Savithri Rodrigo

Kaleidoscope 282 on Child Protection, Maja’s Story, Record Tea, Market Update, High Bridge & more

Sri Lankan Association NSW Launches Strategic Renewal to Empower Community
Articles

Sri Lankan Association NSW Launches Strategic Renewal to Empower Community – By Don Ravi Iddamalgoda

  • Quick Links:
  • Articles
  • DESMOND KELLY
  • Dr Harold Gunatillake
  • English Videos
  • Sri Lanka
  • Sinhala Videos
  • eLanka Newsletters
  • Obituaries
  • Tamil Videos
  • Dr. Harold Gunatillake
  • Sunil Thenabadu
  • Sinhala Movies
  • Trevine Rodrigo
  • Michael Roberts
  • Photos

eLanka

Your Trusted Source for News & Community Stories: Stay connected with reliable updates, inspiring features, and breaking news. From politics and technology to culture, lifestyle, and events, eLanka brings you stories that matter — keeping you informed, engaged, and connected 24/7.
Kerrie road, Oatlands , NSW 2117 , Australia.
Email : info@eLanka.com.au / rasangivjes@gmail.com.
WhatsApp : +61402905275 / +94775882546

(c) 2005 – 2025 eLanka Pty Ltd. All Rights Reserved.