Word: ldl
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...moderately lowers cholesterol levels, is selling so briskly that some manufacturers are working around the clock to meet demand. Essentially, all these nostrums are aimed at reducing total cholesterol. But the hope is implicit that they will raise the levels of HDL, the good cholesterol, while lowering those of LDL, the bad cholesterol...
...good and bad labels, however, can be simplistic and misleading. Pure cholesterol is a life-sustaining substance that plays an essential role in building cell membranes and sex hormones as well as aiding digestion. Problems begin when the body is saddled with an excess of LDL, which normally carries some 60% to 80% of the blood's total cholesterol. This excess can trigger the formation of plaque on the interior walls of the coronary arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis. In time, this hardened, sludge-filled growth narrows the artery and allows a clot to form, severely blocking the blood flow...
Clinical studies suggest that cholesterol's role in this lethal process is much more complicated than previously imagined. Some scientists now believe that in certain cases of atherosclerosis, too little HDL may be as important a factor as too much LDL. On the other hand, the higher the level of HDL, the more it may aid in counteracting the effects of the bad cholesterol. This is the view of Dr. William Castelli, medical director of the Framingham Heart Study, a major research project that for the past 40 years has been following the cardiac history of residents of Framingham, Mass...
...cells and also results from the intake of foods containing saturated fats or pure cholesterol -- for example, butter, cheese, liver, eggs and animal fat. In the Third World, where relatively little saturated fat and cholesterol are consumed, most people seem to be protected from heart disease by low LDL levels. The problem with the Western world's rich diet is that it puts the body into overdrive, so that more LDL cholesterol accumulates in the bloodstream than can be absorbed and used by cells...
...counter this confusion, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute has for the past three years been running a National Cholesterol Education Program. Last year the program set 200 mg/dl as the amount of total cholesterol (essentially LDL plus HDL) above which individuals are considered to be potentially at risk of developing heart disease; those between 200 and 239 are borderline high risk; anyone with a count of 240 or more may be at high risk. The program suggested that everybody should aim for an LDL count of 130 or lower. However, it did not recommend specific HDL targets...