Cholesterol is the main indicator of lipid metabolism, which is a determining factor for the possible development of vascular atherosclerosis. When examining people with cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia and liver pathologies, it is mandatory to determine the level of a substance such as cholesterol in the blood. The norm for women of this biochemical indicator is slightly higher than for men. Why is this happening? This will be discussed in this article, as well as how to reduce blood cholesterol with the help of diet, folk and medicines.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is an organic lipid compound that is found in the cell membranes of humans and all living organisms. About 80% of cholesterol is produced in our body. It is synthesized by cells of the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, intestines and gonads. The remaining 20% comes from the diet.
What is cholesterol for?
As already mentioned, it is necessary as a building material for cell membranes, it is due to this that the cell membrane is dense. Cholesterol plays a huge role for the nervous and immune systems, it is needed for the synthesis of vitamin D, steroid hormones and sex (male - testosterone, and female - estrogen).
Cholesterol is necessary for the human body:
- From it, bile acids and their derivatives are synthesized in liver cells. Without these substances, the digestion process is impossible.
- Without cholesterol, the synthesis of sex hormones is impossible - both male and female. And their lack can negatively affect reproductive function.
What does blood cholesterol mean for a man? What is his norm? We will deal with these issues in this article. It is clear that a deficiency of this substance has a bad effect on human health, just like its excess.
Blood cholesterol. Norm for women
The normal value of this indicator varies from 3.0 to 7.2 mmol / l, depending on the age of the fair sex. The younger the lady, the lower the normal cholesterol, and with age this figure increases slightly, it is normal and depends on many factors.
The normal values of such an indicator as total blood cholesterol in women according to age can be found in the table below.
| Age of woman (years) | Norm of total cholesterol, mmol / l |
| 15-20 | 3.0-5.15 |
| 21-25 | 3.1-5.4 |
| 26-30 | 3.3-5.6 |
| 31-35 | 3.3-5.8 |
| 36-45 | 3.8-6.5 |
| 46-50 | 3.9-6.6 |
| 51-60 | 3.9-7.0 |
| 61-70 | 3.9-7.2 |
| 71-80 | 3.9-7.25 |
| over 80 | 3.9-7.4 |
The table shows that the upper limit of cholesterol increases with age. It is important to monitor blood cholesterol at least once a year. The norm for women (its upper limit), as can be seen from the table, increases with the number of years lived. This is due to the restructuring of the hormonal background of women, especially during menopause. All working people, as a rule, undergo a medical examination once a year (physical examination), where they must examine the level of cholesterol and blood sugar.
The norm of cholesterol in men
Blood cholesterol in men is an important indicator. The fact is that male sex hormones do not protect the cardiovascular system (CCC), as female sex hormones do in the fairer sex. Therefore, the risk of atherosclerosis, cholesterol plaques and complications associated with blockage of blood vessels in men at a fairly young, able-bodied age is higher than in women. You can get acquainted with the norm of total cholesterol in men according to age in the table below.
| Age of man (years) | Norm of total cholesterol, mmol / l |
| 15-20 | 2.91-5.1 |
| 21-25 | 3.1-5.5 |
| 26-30 | 3.4-6.3 |
| 31-35 | 3,5-6,5 |
| 36-40 | 3.7-6.9 |
| 41-50 | 3.9-6.9 |
| 51-70 | 4.0-7.1 |
| over 70 | 3.7-6.8 |
Statistics show that the incidence of strokes and heart attacks in middle-aged men is higher than in women. Representatives of the fair sex, the risk of these diseases, as a rule, increases already at a fairly mature age, during menopause.
Causes of increased cholesterol
Why does blood cholesterol rise ? The reasons for increasing this indicator (hypercholesterolemia) are very different, but most often the patient is to blame for this, more precisely, his lifestyle.
- Improper nutrition, eating foods with a high content of saturated fats lead to an increase in blood cholesterol. Products such as lard, fatty meat, all sausages, pastries, fatty cheeses, can be included in the diet only in very limited quantities.
- A sedentary, hypodynamic lifestyle is a risk factor for increasing cholesterol concentrations.
- Bad habits, in particular smoking and drinking alcohol, are risk factors for developing atherosclerosis.
- Excess weight and obesity.
- Heredity.
- Middle-aged men have a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis and CVD than women. These diseases are the result of high cholesterol. The chances of both sexes to develop these diseases are equalized only in old age, more precisely, after the onset of menopause in women, because in this period their blood cholesterol may increase. The norm for women of this indicator in middle age (before menopause) is lower than for men.
How to bring cholesterol back to normal?
If the level of this indicator has increased, then it must be reduced in order to avoid negative consequences. How to reduce blood cholesterol? This can be done in different ways: to balance nutrition, folk methods, medications (statins), etc. How to reduce blood cholesterol by correcting nutrition?
If hypercholesterolemia is insignificant, there are deviations from the norm of no more than 10%, then you can normalize cholesterol levels using a balanced diet, excluding all fatty foods, confectionery products and giving up bad habits - smoking and drinking alcohol. Alcohol in any concentration negatively affects health, so giving up on it should be absolute.
Diet to lower cholesterol
The following should be eaten:
- Fresh vegetables and herbs can be in the form of salads with a small amount of olive or linseed oil.
- Fresh fruits, especially green apples and avocados (they can lower triglycerides).
- Dairy products with a low fat content.
- Whole grain bread, can with bran.
- Soy products.
- Protein omelets and cereals.
- Berry fruit drinks and natural juices.
- Chanterelle mushrooms contain natural statins, so they should also be included in the diet.
- Herring contains natural statins, but it should not be eaten as salted, but in baked form or steamed. Salt is able to retain water in the body, thereby contributing to an increase in pressure, which in combination with high cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaques increases the risk of developing strokes and heart attacks.
Alternative methods of lowering cholesterol
What to do if blood cholesterol rises? Folk remedies will help in this matter if this indicator has increased by no more than 10-15% from the upper limit of the norm.
Eating garlic and onions daily for one month can reduce the level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or so-called bad cholesterol, by 30%. Due to this, the total cholesterol in the blood will also decrease.
The recipe for lowering cholesterol based on lemons and garlic is widely known. To make it, you need 24 lemons and 400 grams of peeled garlic. Squeeze the juice from the lemons, chop the garlic with a blender or mince. Mix everything and insist in a dark place for 7 days. A teaspoon of this drug, previously diluted with cold boiled water, is taken on an empty stomach in the morning. A treatment mixture prepared in this way is enough for a course of treatment that is repeated once a year. Contraindicated in gastric ulcer and exacerbations of pancreatitis.
Flaxseed can lower blood cholesterol , it must be added to food.
Blood cholesterol. Medical treatment
With a significant increase in cholesterol, you must consult a cardiologist. He will prescribe statin drugs, such as Vazilip, Lovastatin, Leskol Forte, Simvakard and others.
These drugs should be taken under the control of biochemical analyzes such as ALT, AST and bilirubin, as some of them can provoke an increase in these indicators, i.e., have a negative effect on the liver. Therefore, it is better if a doctor prescribes you a drug to lower cholesterol after a full examination.