The most common reasons of high cholesterol: syndrome xAlso known as metabolic syndrome, this condition is gaining greater awareness. Recent research has shown that 31 percent of Australians have Syndrome X, and this makes them twice as likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than the general population. You can usually spot someone with Syndrome X by their round tummy. It is a metabolic disorder whereby 3 or more of the following conditions are present in the one person: • Abdominal obesity or excess fat in and around the abdomen. This means a waist circumference of >102cm in men and >88cm in women. • Blood fat disorders (dyslipidaemia). This is usually high triglycerides (>1.69mmol/L) and low HDL cholesterol (<1.29 mmol/L in women & <1.04mmol/L in men). • High blood pressure (130/85 mmHg or higher) • Insulin resistance or poor glucose tolerance. This usually means an elevated fasting blood sugar level of >6.1 mmol/L. • Prothrombotic state (i.e. Tendency to form blood clots). This usually involves high fibrinogen or plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 in the blood. Syndrome X is usually caused by a diet high in carbohydrate, genetic factors, being overweight, certain medications and not doing enough exercise. As well as increasing your risk of developing heart disease, many people with Syndrome X go on to develop Type II diabetes. How does Syndrome X put us at increased risk of heart disease? When we eat carbohydrates (grains, starches, sugar), our body digests these into glucose (blood sugar). Glucose is a source of energy, and our body must decide how much of it to burn straight away, and how much to store for later use (as glycogen). The hormone insulin is released soon after we eat a carbohydrate containing meal, and its job is to help the glucose enter our cells, where it can be used for energy. Once our glycogen stores are full, insulin converts the excess glucose we have consumed into fat, called triglyceride. High triglyceride levels are a major risk factor for heart disease, and triglycerides are deposited as body fat. Therefore, the hormone insulin can make us gain weight. The type of diet we have greatly affects our blood insulin levels; diets high in sugar and foods made of white flour promote more insulin compared to diets consisting of vegetables and protein. Eating a lot of carbohydrate will release a lot of glucose into the bloodstream. Our body compensates for this by releasing a flood of insulin. *10/53/5* CHOLESTEROL «Buy Lipitor» |