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(Voice Over)[br]Cholesterol.

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You hear the word a lot, [br]but what exactly is cholesterol,

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and why should you be concerned about it?

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(Dr. Farkouh)[br]Cholesterol is a fatty substance

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found among the lipids in the blood stream

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and in cells throughout the body.

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Cholesterol is not inherently bad.

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In fact, cholesterol is [br]naturally occurring

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and plays an important role [br]in the formation of cell membranes

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and in the manufacturing of hormones.

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But the body only needs [br]a small amount of cholesterol

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to carry out most of these functions.

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It is only when the body [br]has too much cholesterol

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that it becomes a potential health risk.

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Cholesterol and other fats[br]cannot dissolve in the blood stream,

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so they need to be transported [br]into and out of cells

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by special carriers called lipoproteins.

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Cholesterol is carried by 2 of these,

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Low Density Lipoprotein, known as LDL,

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and High Density Lipoprotein, [br]known as HDL.

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When the amount of cholesterol [br]in the blood stream increases,

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the body needs to create [br]additional lipoproteins.

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LDL cholesterol has become [br]known as "the bad cholesterol"

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because when there is [br]too much of it in the blood stream,

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it tends to build up in [br]the arterial walls, forming plaque.

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This plaque build-up [br]clogs and hardens the arteries,

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a condition known as atherosclerosis.

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This can lead to heart attack or stroke.

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HDL Cholesterol has been dubbed [br]"the good cholesterol"

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because it seems to actually aid

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in removing cholesterol from the body

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by carrying it away from the arteries

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and back to the liver, [br]where it is passed from the body.

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Determining your cholesterol level is easy

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and can be done with a simple blood test.

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The normal level of cholesterol [br]for any individual

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depends upon their age, weight, and sex,

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but typically an LDL cholesterol level [br]of above 160 milligrams per deciliter

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is considered high.

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Similarly, an HDL cholesterol level [br]below 40 milligrams per deciliter

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would usually be considered too low.

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Either high LDL levels or low HDL levels

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can put you at risk for plaque build up.

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The first and easiest way [br]to reduce cholesterol

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is to restrict your fat intake.

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High cholesterol is an important factor [br]in heart disease and stroke

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and managing your cholesterol is [br]an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

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The good news is that there are many [br]effective ways to manage high cholesterol,

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as you can see [br]from other films in this library.

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However, an important first step [br]towards a heart-healthy lifestyle

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should be to see your doctor

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and find out your cholesterol level.

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(Voice Over)[br]Want to learn more?

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Check out other videos and sources [br]on this site for more information.