Most people believe that cholesterol is a dangerous substance for the body. Indeed, its excess has a negative impact on health, but lack of it does not lead to anything good. Each person needs to donate blood every year to study cholesterol in order to detect deviations from normal values. Below we will talk about how to properly donate blood to cholesterol and decipher the result of the analysis.
Cholesterol - an indispensable substance for the body
The statement that cholesterol has only a harmful effect is fundamentally wrong. This fat-like substance ("fat bile" in the literal translation) envelops all the cell membranes of the body, protecting them from adverse factors.
Without cholesterol, the brain cannot function — it makes up a significant portion of the white and gray substances. The nerve fiber membrane also contains cholesterol. Due to participation in the production of hormones, it is necessary for the full functioning of the adrenal glands and the reproductive system.
Cholesterol is partially synthesized by the body, the rest comes with food.
“Good” and “Bad” Cholesterol
Doctors divide cholesterol into beneficial and harmful due to the heterogeneity of its composition:
- “Good” has a high density, it does not settle on the walls of blood vessels, that is, it does not provoke the appearance of cholesterol plaques;
- "Bad" has a low density and can lead to the formation of plaques, as a result of which the walls of the vessels are injured, their lumen is significantly reduced.
How is it that cholesterol is both beneficial and harmful? It is transported from the blood to the tissues of organs using special proteins - lipoproteins. These proteins also have different densities; the quality of cholesterol transfer depends on this. Low-density proteins are not able to completely transfer it - part of the cholesterol remains in the vessels.
Who needs to monitor cholesterol
Cholesterol should always be normal. Its deficiency is reflected in the mental state, and excess provokes the occurrence of serious diseases or complicates the course of existing ones.
Taking a blood test for cholesterol is an important point in monitoring your health. It is recommended to take an analysis annually in order to timely prevent the development of serious ailments.
Persons at risk for high levels of bad cholesterol:
- smokers
- obese, prone to overweight;
- hypertension;
- having diseases of the heart, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, thyroid gland;
- with a sedentary and sedentary lifestyle;
- having diabetes mellitus;
- women in menopause;
- elderly people.
How often to take an analysis for cholesterol to people belonging to any category should be decided by the attending physician in each case after a thorough examination.
Preparing for the test
The result of the analysis depends on the knowledge of how to properly donate blood for cholesterol. This is actually very important. To obtain an accurate picture, special attention should be paid to preparing for a blood test for cholesterol:
- During the week preceding the study, do not eat fatty and fried foods, alcohol. Categorically prohibited for use: products containing animal fats, cheese, sausage, egg yolk.
- In at least 2-3 days, eliminate the possibility of stress: overwork at work, nervous breakdowns. It is also recommended to postpone visiting attractions, conducting tempering procedures, undesirable trips to the bath and sauna.
Blood sampling is carried out on an empty stomach, the last meal should take place 12 hours before analysis.
On the day of blood test
Before donating blood for cholesterol analysis, you need to refrain from smoking for at least 4 hours. At the same time, the use of carbonated drinks, juices, fruit drinks, tea, coffee, etc. is prohibited. It is allowed to drink clean water without gas.
In order for the result to be as reliable as possible, it is not enough to follow only recommendations on how to properly donate blood to cholesterol and prepare for analysis. Equally important is the emotional state. Before the procedure you need to sleep, and half an hour before the blood donation, relax and think about the pleasant.
Blood is taken from a vein, so you need to take care of comfortable clothes in advance.
Normal blood cholesterol
The unit of measurement of blood cholesterol is mmol / L. It is one of the 3 main units of laboratory research and shows the atomic (molecular) mass of cholesterol per 1 liter of blood.
The minimum amount of cholesterol in the blood is 2.9 units, it is detected in children at birth, as it grows older.
The amount of cholesterol in men and women is different. In addition, in women, the indicator grows slowly, while in men it rises sharply in adolescence and middle age. With the onset of menopause in women, the amount of cholesterol increases rapidly and becomes much larger than in men of the same age. That is why the onset of menopause is a good reason to donate blood for research.
The normal range for blood cholesterol in women is considered to be 3.5-7 units, in men - 3.3-7.8 units.
If the study showed abnormalities, you need to donate blood for an extended analysis of the amount of lipoproteins, showing the ratio of "good" and "bad" cholesterol.
The norm of low-density proteins: in men - 2.3-4.7 units, in women - 1.9-4.4; high: for men - 0.74-1.8 units, for women - 0.8-2.3 units.
Additionally, the amount of triglycerides, substances involved in cholesterol metabolism, is detected, the unit of measurement is also mmol / l. Their number should not exceed 0.6-3.6 units. in men and 0.5-2.5 units. among women.
The final step is to calculate the atherogenic coefficient: the ratio of “good” and “bad” is subtracted from the amount of total cholesterol. If the result is not more than 4, it is considered that the state of cholesterol metabolism is normal.
Important! Indicators may have slight deviations, which may be the norm - for each person they are individual.
Increased cholesterol - what to do?
If the results of blood tests for cholesterol showed a total amount of more than 5.0 mmol / l, and there are more "bad" cholesterol than "good", it is customary to talk about hypercholesterolemia. It is important to regularly take tests, because at the initial stage, the disease does not manifest itself.
Over time, symptoms appear that indicate the progression of the disease:
- dyspnea;
- chest pain;
- weakness;
- nausea;
- dizziness;
- temporary loss of vision;
- memory losses;
- lameness;
- spots on the skin are yellow.
If cholesterol is elevated in a blood test, it is important to rethink your lifestyle and change your diet.
Prohibited foods:
- fatty meat products;
- egg yolk;
- high fat milk;
- margarine;
- mayonnaise;
- offal;
- fat;
- fast food;
- confectionery;
- crackers, chips.
You need to focus on the content of saturated fats in foods, and not on cholesterol, because the human liver synthesizes the "bad" cholesterol from them.
To reduce cholesterol, it is recommended to regularly use:
- greens;
- legumes;
- garlic;
- red fruits and vegetables;
- olive oil;
- seafood.
A healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet and good rest will solve the problem of high cholesterol.
Low cholesterol
Cholesterol levels below 3.0 mmol / L pose a serious health hazard.
With its reduced content, the vessels weaken and rupture - this is the main cause of hemorrhages leading to death. Nerve fibers lose a strong protective shell, which threatens with depression, dementia, chronic fatigue, aggression.
People with low cholesterol are more prone to cancer and mortality for various reasons.
Hypocholesterolemia increases the risk of alcohol and drug addiction by 5 times. This is due to the fact that the psycho-emotional state of a person depends on the level of cholesterol , which can even lead to suicide.
The problem of cholesterol deficiency is very serious. First of all, it is important to exclude harmful addictions from your life and reconsider gastronomic habits. It is important to follow a diet and not eat foods that are prohibited with high cholesterol. In order not to bring an excess of "bad" cholesterol, you need to eat greens and nuts more often.
Where to take cholesterol tests
Any laboratory can conduct this analysis. For a free procedure, you need to take a referral from your doctor and sign up for a blood test. As a rule, this takes a lot of time, so people often turn to private clinics. By appointment (the registrar will always remind you how to donate blood to cholesterol), you can go to a medical clinic and go through the procedure. The result is usually ready this day or the next. Independent laboratories also take blood for cholesterol, most often in a live queue. The choice should be made in favor of the institution where blood sampling is quick and comfortable, the result is prepared promptly and there is an optimal cost of the study.