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Dr. Len and Nurse Vicki present everything you need to know about cholesterol. What it is, what the fractions mean, what they predict, and what we can do to deal with elevated levels. Statins, how they work, what they do, and their side effects are reviewed. The role of inflammation, oxidized cholesterol, and why it should not be lowered too much are explained....

Cholesterol is related to but not the direct cause of arteriosclerosis, heart disease, and strokes. We cannot live without cholesterol, we must have it to make cell membranes, vitamin D, many hormones, and bile salts. Yet it is related to heart disease. In general, the higher the cholesterol the worse the risk for heart disease. But it is not the total that is...

Understanding what cholesterol and its fractions mean is reviewed. How cholesterol is related to plaque formation is reviewed. The importance of cholesterol in making vitamin D, hormones, and health cell membranes is highlighted. When cholesterol crystalizes it expands in volume by 50% and helps explain why plaques rupture and lead to clotted blood vessels. Further,...

Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and their interrelationships and differences are discussed so that a fundamental understanding of what cholesterol is and what the ratios of the various subcategories means. High total cholesterol is not necessarily a dangerous thing...it is the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL that is the most predictive factor. The value and dangers...

Cholesterol is needed by the body to make bile salts for digestion, vitamin D, hormones, neurotransmitters, and cell membranes. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL provides a metric for the development cholesterol plaque. Lowering cholesterol with drugs may have value for some situations, but it can be lowered too much and create other serious problems.        

HDL is the protective form of cholesterol that prevents hear attacks and strokes. The ratios of cholesterol, LDL, and HDL are reviewed. The role of inflammation is explained in causing plaque. Increasing HDL is a promising new idea, but there are problems. The value of cholesterol is also reviewed; it makes vitamin D, healthy cell membranes, many hormones. When...