Part 2 - Cholesterol's Role in atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease & Heart Health
Imagine this scenario, you’re late to an important meeting and you’re rushing to get out of the house. You run out the front door and as you turn the corner a split second too quickly, you scrape your arm on a brick wall. Ouch! Now you have to run back inside and grab a band-aid all while stressing out because you’re running late.
There’s a lot going on inside your body during this time.
Your stress hormones are elevated causing your heart rate and blood pressure to increase, which places your blood vessels under increased strain. As blood careens through the ever branching network of vessels, it’s possible to suffer an internal abrasion, similar to the scrape you suffered on your arm. And just as you apply a band-aid to assist with healing, your internal mechanisms perform a similar treatment.
There’s a lot going on inside your body during this time.
Your stress hormones are elevated causing your heart rate and blood pressure to increase, which places your blood vessels under increased strain. As blood careens through the ever branching network of vessels, it’s possible to suffer an internal abrasion, similar to the scrape you suffered on your arm. And just as you apply a band-aid to assist with healing, your internal mechanisms perform a similar treatment.
Cholesterol's Role in Healing
The body mobilizes and ships cholesterol to the injury site via LDL cholesterol carriers. The cholesterol is used to coat the wound so healing can occur underneath. When the healing process is complete, HDL cholesterol carriers retrieve the cholesterol and return it to the liver. This process is the basis for why we measure HDL and LDL levels and gives us insight into their role in the development of atherosclerosis (AKA clogged arteries).
The amount of HDL and LDL present in your blood can give us a picture of your risk of developing coronary artery disease (clogged arteries in your heart) because;
If you have low HDL levels or high LDL levels, some cholesterol may be left behind after the healing process is complete. Over time, this cholesterol can collect other debris floating in your blood and a plaque can form. This is the beginning of atherosclerosis. If an individual has a high amount of stress, and therefore the need for a lot of internal band-aids, they could be at greater risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
Join us for part 3, what are optimum cholesterol values?
The amount of HDL and LDL present in your blood can give us a picture of your risk of developing coronary artery disease (clogged arteries in your heart) because;
If you have low HDL levels or high LDL levels, some cholesterol may be left behind after the healing process is complete. Over time, this cholesterol can collect other debris floating in your blood and a plaque can form. This is the beginning of atherosclerosis. If an individual has a high amount of stress, and therefore the need for a lot of internal band-aids, they could be at greater risk of developing atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
Join us for part 3, what are optimum cholesterol values?