Word: ldl
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...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...
...current craze stems from studies showing that oats, particularly oat bran, can have a salutary effect on blood levels of total cholesterol and, even better, of the "bad" type of cholesterol known as LDL (low-density lipoprotein). Researchers have found that consuming 1 1/2 to 3 oz. of oat bran daily for six to eight weeks can lower total cholesterol some 20% and LDLs as much as 25%. "It's great stuff," says Dr. James Anderson of the University of Kentucky, who pioneered the study of oat bran in the 1970s. Anderson estimates that up to 85% of Americans with...