Pumping Marvellous

Cholesterol and Heart Failure

Reduce your cholesterol level

High levels of cholesterol (fat) in your blood can cause furring and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), heart attacks and strokes. The risk of coronary heart disease and therefore heart failure increases as the level of cholesterol in the blood increases. If you have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or you smoke, the risk is even bigger.
If your cholesterol level has been found to be too high, your doctor will usually first advise making some changes to your diet (switching to a low-fat diet) and taking plenty of regular exercise. If, after a few months, your cholesterol level has not dropped, you will usually need to take cholesterol-lowering medicines (statins).

If you have Heart Failure it is important to manage your cholesterol. A good tip for you without medical intervention is to take foods like Benecol and Flora Proactive. Believe it or not I had slightly raised Cholesterol 10 years ago and ever since then I have had my regular one a day Plant Sterol from the two brands above. When I was admitted to hospital and the numerous blood tests started my cholesterol levels were well within tolerance so it does say something for plant sterols!

There are lots of weird and wonderful phrases and words when it comes to everything heart related.

This is a concise list of some Technical Terms –

Anti-arrhythmic – this is a drug to control a disorder of the heart rhythm

Arrhythmia – a disorder of the heart rhythm

Atherosclerosis – the build up of fatty material within the walls of the arteries

Bolus injection – When a drug is injected directly into a vein

Cholesterol lowering drug – a drug to lower the blood cholesterol level

Coronary Heart Disease – When the walls of the arteries become narrowed by a gradual build up of fatty material called atheroma

Coronary Thrombosis – The formation of a clot in the coronary arteries which can cause a heart attack. It is also a name used instead of heart attack

Enzymes – proteins that help to stimulate chemical actions in the body

Fibrin – a protein formed by clotting factors in the blood to act as part of the clotting process

Generic name – this is the actual name of the drug

HDL Cholesterol – high density lipoprotein. Sometime known as the protective cholesterol

Heart Failure – when the pumping action of the heart is less efficient

Heart Rate – number of beats per minute

Hypertension – high blood pressure

Intramuscular – into a muscle

Intravenous – into a vein

LDL cholesterol – low density lipoprotein. Sometimes known as bad cholesterol

Lipid drug – a drug to lower the level of cholesterol or triglycerides in the blood

Myocardial infarction – Heart attack

Platelets – small blood cells which are important for helping the blood clot.

Proprietary name – this is the trade name of the drug

Sublingual – under the tongue

Triglycerides – a type of fatty substance found in the blood