High cholesterol and high blood pressure are two major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Along with diabetes and smoking, they account for 85 percent of our risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Both high cholesterol and high blood pressure affect the inner lining of our blood vessels in such a way that promotes the dangerous build-up of fatty deposits ("atherosclerosis"), a cause of heart attack or stroke.
While many other diseases have grabbed the limelight, diseases of the heart and blood vessels have been the leading cause of death and disability for every year in the entire 20th century, with the exception of 1918 (the year of the Spanish flu epidemic).
The World Health Organization estimates that in the year 2020, cardiovascular diseases and stroke will be the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, as our increasing lifespan leaves us vulnerable from prolonged exposure to various risk factors, such as foods high in saturated fat.
Many clinical studies have now substantiated the effectiveness of cholesterol and blood pressure lowering in the prevention and recurrence of cardiovascular disease, and effective treatments are now available. But we seem to have become curiously immune to this modern day epidemic. With our fast pace of living, we often don't take the time to schedule preventive screenings.
Since high cholesterol and high blood pressure generally have no symptoms, there are no warning signs to alert us of danger. And about a third of those with high blood pressure and/or high cholesterol have no idea that they have it.
Will the Beat Go On?
So, What Can I Do?
Exercise for Healthy Numbers
Nutrition for Healthy Numbers
Misconceptions About Heart Disease