One sneaky, silent, and deadly HEALTH threat

It is said that this threat doesn’t have any symptoms but guess what? It opens you to a lot of other health risks with debilitating signs.

What is this hazard that kills even without you knowing? It’s the CHOLESTEROL. 

Cholesterol if not controlled can get very high due to your food choices. Bad cholesterol, also known as low-density lipoprotein(LPL), has some serious complications that do not get noticed until it has done some serious damage to your body.

Let’s take a walk down the past habits of an ignorant individual just before knowledge gained victory over his reasoning.

James was not much of a tall person. He was fair and had an “I don’t care attitude” but he was a man in his late 20s to early 30s. He was not physically fit because he pays little or no attention to his fitness routine. His days were centered around waking up, going to work, keeping to bad habits, and never caring about his diet.

You couldn’t blame James though. He was a bachelor and always caught in the habit of saying “I have to live my life to the fullest”. And one would say he went to the extreme. He pays deaf ears to the popular enlightenment programs on cholesterol broadcast everywhere in the media.

His smoking was on the high side, he ate more junk food containing lots of lipids. This was already taking a toll on his health and he didn’t realize this. Even his mandatory alcohol intake wasn’t left out. James drinks himself into a stupor at every slightest opportunity. 

All these negative lifestyle factors were increasing his cholesterol level and he still never stopped upon the regular media enlightenment he came across every time.

A day came and James felt like he was going to kick the bucket at any point in time. He felt so uncomfortable, he had difficulty in breathing, severe headaches, chest pains, and his body spelled illness. 

He was forced to go to the hospital to find out what exactly was wrong with him. James came into the hospital gasping for breath, he had managed to drive to the nearest hospital. He passed out temporarily and the nurses sent him to the emergency unit, the doctor came in and attended to him. 

Not only did the doctor confirm James’s high blood pressure but also the high cholesterol in his blood vessels. When James had regained his consciousness, his eyes had a lot of mystery questions embedded in them. What in the world would explain the suddenly uncomfortable signs he felt earlier.

The doctor asked, “what is your name?”

James replied “My name is James Mason”

“Well, James, I have discovered that you have a serious high blood pressure,” the doctor said

“But what will have caused this?, I don’t have any heavy responsibilities that might have resulted in high blood pressure,” James thought aloud.

The doctor smiled and said “high blood pressure is not only caused by overthinking but is also a complication of high cholesterol in the blood”

James was curious to know what cholesterol meant so he threw his mystery question at the doctor “doctor, what is cholesterol?”

The doctor explained cholesterol as a type of fat in the blood, he pressed further to say that the body needed some cholesterol to function and it also made the cholesterol the body needed. He also said that cholesterol can be gotten from the food we ate.

Getting interested in what the doctor was explaining, James asked “since there is the good cholesterol in the body, what will make too much of a good thing bad?” 

The doctor got excited that James was interested in what he was saying. He taught further ” James, there are 2 different types of cholesterol. There’s the good cholesterol known as high-density lipoprotein ( HDL) which transports cholesterol from other parts of your body back to the liver, where it is removed from your body. The high level of HDL is linked to a lower risk of heart disease.” 

The doctor paused, amazed at James’s attentiveness, he continued “then there’s the bad cholesterol, which is what raises the blood pressure beyond normal. It is known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL). High levels of this cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke”

“Doctor, what a contradicting fact!. High density is a good guy and low density is a bad guy” James said.

The doctor laughed at James’s naivety and James laughed too. Thanks to his regaining body system.

“But doctor, what causes high bad cholesterol,” James asked, trying to understand more.

The doctor continued “there are many factors that can cause high LDL. Some of them include age and gender, diseases, family history, and some lifestyle factors” 

The doctor explained further “After the age of 20, your cholesterol begins to rise naturally.

In men, cholesterol generally stabilizes at age 50.

In women, it tends to stay low until menopause. Afterward, it rises to approximately the same level as in men.” 

James’ face fell because he was well past the age of 20. The doctor also explained that chronic diseases like kidney illnesses, hypothyroidism, and some liver diseases also increase the risk of high cholesterol, and sometimes it might be hereditary. 

The doctor also said that eating a lot of fatty food, lack of physical activity, and also smoking and drinking habits increase the risk of high bad cholesterol. The doctor stressed the fact that as heavy as this threat is to health, it can’t be diagnosed except through blood tests. James was happy that he was in the hands of an intelligent doctor who had carried out blood tests on him and is currently explaining what had happened.

The doctor pressed further to explain the consequences of bad cholesterol. “Excess cholesterol blocks the arteries and prevents the effective flow of blood. It causes hardening of the arteries which can lead to coronary artery disease (CAD), blood clots, and inflammation that cause heart attacks and strokes.”

James was already scared because he is a victim of those lifestyle factors the doctor mentioned earlier and by the look of things, he was just lucky seeing that he was at a high risk of fatal heart diseases. 

Seeing that James was bothered about his present situation, the doctor decided to calm his nerves by enlightening him on the prevention and prescribing his drugs to him.

“James” the doctor brought James out of his world of deep thoughts.

“Yes doctor,” James replied.

“You can avoid building up this dangerous threat by eating heart-healthy food, being consistent in your fitness routine, stopping your smoking and drinking habits, and being active most of the day” the doctor advised.

James thought of what the doctor had said and he decided to turn a new leaf. He had heard from the horse’s mouth and his ignorance had been obliterated from his mind completely. The doctor gave him some drugs to help and also his contact in case he needed to ask more questions.

James went home happy and in a few months, his health had bounced back. He never neglected the doctor’s advice and he kept to his new habits.

Now just to remind you, bad cholesterol is a deadly threat that kills silently. Let’s not live the past life of James. You might be unlucky to fall victim to serious heart disease.

Do not let ignorance envelope your mind. Feed your knowledge with this beautiful article on cholesterol. Remember, health first.