Happiness: 6 Myths and Truths
Don't Fall for These 6 Happiness Myths; Learn How to Overcome Them
By Annie Stuart
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
If you'd like to be happier -- who wouldn't? -- the first step may be to challenge your own views about happiness.
Maybe you think that to be happier, you need more than you have now -- more freedom, more money, more love ... fill in the blank. Or maybe you've convinced yourself that this is as good as it gets.
Such beliefs may be more myth than fact. Although a myth usually contains a kernel of truth, it can also sprout and grow, spreading seeds of doubt that can ultimately crowd out your own growth.
Here are six common myths about happiness that may actually be downsizing your happiness. The truth may set you free for a happier life, starting right now.
Energy Foods Slideshow: A Diet to Boost Your Mood and Energy Level
Happiness Myth No. 1: Either you have it or you don't.
Say you have two kids you've raised just the same, but they have opposite personalities -- one sour, the other sunny. This makes it hard to dispute the fact that genes play a powerful role in each person's happiness. There's evidence that genetics contributes to about 50% of your happiness set point.
But that's a far cry from 100%, says Sonja Lyubormirsky, PhD, author of The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want and professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside.
"If you do the work, research shows you can become happier, no matter what your set point is," Lyubomirsky says. "You probably won't go from a one to a 10, but you can become happier. It just takes commitment and effort, as with any meaningful goal in life."
Not only can you become happier, but it gets easier over time, she says. Do you want to work on nurturing relationships, writing in a gratitude journal, committing random acts of kindness, or developing a program of morning meditation or exercise? Changes like these -- proven methods for enhancing happiness -- can become habits after a while, which means they eventually take less effort.
Happiness Myth No. 2: Happiness is a destination.
Many people think of happiness as a destination or acquisition - whether it's marriage, money, or a move to a new location. Sure, things like these can contribute to happiness, but not as much as you might think -- only about 10% of your whole happiness picture, Lyubomirsky says.
If you've done the math, you now realize that about 40% of your happiness is in your hands. Lasting happiness has more to do with how you behave and think, which you ultimately control more than many of life's circumstances.
Robert Biswas-Diener, MS, founder of Meridian Life Coaching LLC and co-author of Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth, agrees.
"Happiness isn't the emotional finish line in the race of life," he says. It's a process and a resource. Biswas-Diener says there's a mountain of data showing that when people are happier, they become healthier and more curious, sociable, helpful, creative, and willing to try new things.
Happiness: 6 Myths and Truths
Don't Fall for These 6 Happiness Myths; Learn How to Overcome Them
(continued)
Happiness Myth No. 2: Happiness is a destination. continued...
"Happiness is not just an emotional flight of fancy," he says. It's beneficial for the long run, serving a real function in our lives.
In psychological lingo, this is called the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, says Michael A. Cohn, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher with the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
Cohn recently conducted a study with 86 college students who submitted daily emotion reports. The researchers measured the students' ability to flexibly respond to challenging and shifting circumstances and used a scale to assess life satisfaction. The study showed that positive emotions increased resilience -- skills for identifying opportunities and bouncing back from adversity -- as well as life satisfaction.
Happiness Myth No. 3: You always adapt to your happiness set point.
It's true that people tend to adapt fairly quickly to positive changes in their lives, Lyubomirsky says. In fact, adaptation is one of the big obstacles to becoming happier. The long-awaited house, the new car, the prestigious job - all can bring a temporary boost, but then recede into the background over time.
Why does this happen? One reason, Lyubomirsky says, is that we evolved to pay more attention to novelty. For our ancestors, novelty signaled either danger or opportunity - for a new mate or food, for example. We're attuned to contrasts, not sameness, but that also means we readily adapt to positive experiences that happen to us, Lyubomirsky says.
"I argue that you can thwart adaptation, slow it down, or prevent it with active ways of thinking or behaving," says Lyubomirsky, who after moving to Santa Monica, Calif., found herself adapting to her beautiful surroundings. To counteract this trend, she put effort into appreciating the view she saw when running on a path overlooking the ocean. She says she now savors that view daily, trying to see it "through the eyes of a tourist."
To help thwart adaptation, you can also use novelty to your advantage. For instance, if your home has become a little ho-hum, you might try rearranging furniture or hosting parties for a variety of friends. Voluntary activities like these are most effective because they require you to pay attention, Lyubomirsky notes.
Don't Fall for These 6 Happiness Myths; Learn How to Overcome Them
(continued)
Happiness Myth No. 4: Negative emotions always outweigh the positive ones.
For quite some time, research has indicated that negative emotions are more powerful than positive ones, Cohn says. For example, studies show that people don't have equal reactions to winning $3 and losing $3, he says. The loss tends to have a stronger effect than the gain.
Negative emotions might edge out positive emotions in the moment, says Cohn, because they're telling you to find a problem and fix it. By contrast, positive emotions appear to win out over time because they let you build on what you have, a finding reinforced by Cohn's recent study.
"We found that as positive emotions go up, there comes a point where negative emotions no longer have a significant negative impact on building resources or changing life satisfaction," Cohn says. "Positive emotions won't protect you from feeling bad about things, nor should they. But over time, they can protect you from the consequences of negative emotions."
This may not be true for people with depression or other serious disorders, although they do show benefits when positive emotions are added to conventional psychotherapy, Cohn notes.
Happiness Myth No. 5: Happiness is all about hedonism.
There's more to happiness than racking up pleasurable experiences. In fact, helping others - the opposite of hedonism - may be the most direct route to happiness, notes Stephen G. Post, PhD, co-author of Why Good Things Happen to Good People: The Exciting New Research That Proves the Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life.
"When people help others through formal volunteering or generous actions, about half report feeling a 'helper's high' and 13% even experience alleviation of aches and pains," says Post, professor of preventive medicine and director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care, and Bioethics at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y.
"For most people, a pretty low threshold of activity practiced well makes a difference," Post says. This might involve volunteering just one or two hours each week or doing five generous things weekly - practices that are above and beyond what you normally do.
First documented in the 1990s, mood elevation from helping is associated with a release of serotonin, endorphins - the body's natural opiates - and oxytocin, a "compassion hormone" that reinforces even more helping behavior, Post says.
Could compassion be rooted in our neurobiology? A National Academy of Sciences 2006 study showed that simply thinking about contributing to a charity of choice activates a part of the brain called the mesolimbic pathway, the brain's reward center, which is associated with feelings of joy.
"Although just thinking about giving or writing a check can increase our levels of happiness, face-to-face interactions seem to have a higher impact," Post says. "I think that's because they engage the [brain's] agents of giving more fully through tone of voice, facial expression, and the whole body."
Don't Fall for These 6 Happiness Myths; Learn How to Overcome Them
(continued)
Happiness Myth No. 6: One size fits all.
If you're seeking a magic bullet or mystical elixir to enhance your happiness, you're bound to be sorely disappointed. There is no "one size fits all" for happiness.
Instead, there are many ways to boost your happiness. Here are options to try:
Pick an activity that is meaningful to you, Cohn says. Whether you choose an activity that promotes a sense of gratitude, connectedness, forgiveness, or optimism, you'll be most successful if your choices are personally relevant to you. And, he adds, this may also keep you from adapting to them too quickly.
Assess your strengths and develop practices that best use these gifts, Post suggests. Are you a good cook? Deliver a meal to a shut-in. A retired teacher? Consider tutoring a child. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
Vary your activities, because promoting happiness is largely a question of finding a good fit, Lyubomirsky says. To that end, she helped Signal Patterns develop a "Live Happy" iPhone application that starts with a short survey to identify the happiness strategies that you're suited to, such as journaling or calling someone to express gratitude. "You can lose your will [to do those activities] if it's not a good fit," Lyubomirsky says.
And when it comes to happiness, maintaining your will -- and acting on it -- might just put a pleasurable, meaningful life well within reach.
Yes, it is a very good and relevant topic. Beautifully analyzed.
The suggestion given in Myth 6 gives individual/s lot of enlightening. (1)The list of activity does not encompass all good traits we know....for instance there is 'sacrifice', 'yielding tendency', 'humility', 'kindness', 'generosity or magnanimity','hospitality' & so on and so forth. At least taking one good trait [choice is yours] and attaining success in one's lifetime is a great, wonderful thing. (2)This must be tried by individuals sure as per their strengths. Possibilities are unlimited of course and sky is the limit.(3) One need to take his/her own good fit and sure that fit must be an ideal one and generally acceptable to many.
'bharatheeyan-santhothosam'
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
அதிகப்படி மாவுச்சத்து இதய நோய்க்கு வித்து!
[மிக்க நன்றி குமுதத்திற்கு....]
மாவுச் சத்து (கார்போஹைட்ரேட்)உணவு மற்றும் பண்டங்களை அதிகம் உட்கொள்பவர்களுக்கு இதயம் சம்பந்தமான நோய்கள் வருவதற்கு இரண்டு மடங்கு வாய்ப்புள்ளதாக ஆய்வுத் தகவல் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.
மாவுச்சத்து உணவுகளை அதிகம் உட்கொள்கிறவர்களுக்கு இதய நோய்கள் வருவதற்கான சாத்தியக் கூறு உள்ளதா என்று மேற்கொண்ட ஆய்வு விவரம் வருமாறு:
மாவுச் சத்து உணவுகள் உட்கொள்ளும் 15 ஆயிரம் ஆண்கள் மற்றும் 32 ஆயிரம் பெண்களைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து சுமார் 8 ஆண்டுகள் தொடர்ந்து அவர்கள் கவனிக்கப்பட்டு வந்தனர். இதில் 158 பெண்களும், 305 ஆண்களும் இதய நோய் பாதிப்புக்கு ஆளாகியுள்ளனர்.மற்ற சத்து உணவுகளை உட்கொள்பவர்களைவிட, மாவுச் சத்து உணவுகளை உட்கொள்கிறவர்களுக்கு இரண்டு மடங்கு அதிகமாக இதய நோய்கள் வருவதற்கு வாய்ப்புள்ளதாகத் தெரியவந்தது.
மாவுச்சத்து உணவே அபாயமல்ல.அந்த உணவும் ரத்தத்தில் கலப்பதற்காக குளுக்கோஸை விடுவிக்கும் வேகம்தான் பெரிய அபாயம். அதிவேகத்தில் குளுக்கோஸை விடுவிக்கும் மாவுப் பொருள்கள் ஹைகிளைகேமிக் குறியீட்டெண் உடையவை என்று அறிவியல் நிபுணர்கள் வரையறை செய்துள்ளனர்.இவை தான் இதய நோய் வருவதற்கு வாய்ப்புகளை உருவாக்குகின்றன. இதனால் 25 சதவீதம் பெண்கள் இதய நோய்க்கு ஆளாகின்றனர்.
மற்ற எளிய உணவுகள், பழங்கள், கொட்டைகள், ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய் பயன்படுத்தி தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட உணவுப் பொருள்களை உட்கொள்ளும் பெண்கள் பாதிக்கப்படுவதில்லை.மாவுச்சத்துள்ள உணவுகளை உட்கொள்ளும் ஆண்கள் பாதிக்கப்படுவதில்லை என்றும் ஆய்வு கூறுகிறது.
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"பாரதீயன் - சந்தோஷம்"
மாவுச் சத்து (கார்போஹைட்ரேட்)உணவு மற்றும் பண்டங்களை அதிகம் உட்கொள்பவர்களுக்கு இதயம் சம்பந்தமான நோய்கள் வருவதற்கு இரண்டு மடங்கு வாய்ப்புள்ளதாக ஆய்வுத் தகவல் தெரிவித்துள்ளது.
மாவுச்சத்து உணவுகளை அதிகம் உட்கொள்கிறவர்களுக்கு இதய நோய்கள் வருவதற்கான சாத்தியக் கூறு உள்ளதா என்று மேற்கொண்ட ஆய்வு விவரம் வருமாறு:
மாவுச் சத்து உணவுகள் உட்கொள்ளும் 15 ஆயிரம் ஆண்கள் மற்றும் 32 ஆயிரம் பெண்களைத் தேர்ந்தெடுத்து சுமார் 8 ஆண்டுகள் தொடர்ந்து அவர்கள் கவனிக்கப்பட்டு வந்தனர். இதில் 158 பெண்களும், 305 ஆண்களும் இதய நோய் பாதிப்புக்கு ஆளாகியுள்ளனர்.மற்ற சத்து உணவுகளை உட்கொள்பவர்களைவிட, மாவுச் சத்து உணவுகளை உட்கொள்கிறவர்களுக்கு இரண்டு மடங்கு அதிகமாக இதய நோய்கள் வருவதற்கு வாய்ப்புள்ளதாகத் தெரியவந்தது.
மாவுச்சத்து உணவே அபாயமல்ல.அந்த உணவும் ரத்தத்தில் கலப்பதற்காக குளுக்கோஸை விடுவிக்கும் வேகம்தான் பெரிய அபாயம். அதிவேகத்தில் குளுக்கோஸை விடுவிக்கும் மாவுப் பொருள்கள் ஹைகிளைகேமிக் குறியீட்டெண் உடையவை என்று அறிவியல் நிபுணர்கள் வரையறை செய்துள்ளனர்.இவை தான் இதய நோய் வருவதற்கு வாய்ப்புகளை உருவாக்குகின்றன. இதனால் 25 சதவீதம் பெண்கள் இதய நோய்க்கு ஆளாகின்றனர்.
மற்ற எளிய உணவுகள், பழங்கள், கொட்டைகள், ஆலிவ் எண்ணெய் பயன்படுத்தி தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட உணவுப் பொருள்களை உட்கொள்ளும் பெண்கள் பாதிக்கப்படுவதில்லை.மாவுச்சத்துள்ள உணவுகளை உட்கொள்ளும் ஆண்கள் பாதிக்கப்படுவதில்லை என்றும் ஆய்வு கூறுகிறது.
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"பாரதீயன் - சந்தோஷம்"
High Cholesterol Risks: WebMD
[Thanks to Webmed; it is a great source.]
High Cholesterol Risks:
There are usually no symptoms of high-risk cholesterol, yet the dangers are very real -- even fatal.
By R. Morgan Griffin
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD
A lot of people don't take the risks of high cholesterol very seriously. After all, one out of five people have high cholesterol. A staggering 50% of Americans have levels above the suggested limit. Could something so common really be a serious health risk?
Unfortunately, yes. Cholesterol is a direct contributor to cardiovascular disease, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
"Despite all of the amazing medicines and treatments we have, cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death and illness in our society," says Laurence S. Sperling, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga.
The World Health Organization estimates that almost 20% of all strokes and over 50% of all heart attacks can be linked to high cholesterol.
But if you've been diagnosed with high cholesterol, don't despair. The good news is that high cholesterol is one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks that you can change. You just need to take action now, before your high cholesterol results in more serious disease.
All About High-Risk Cholesterol Numbers
When it comes to high cholesterol risks, it's tough to keep the details straight. We might have a vague idea of whether our cholesterol is "good" or "bad," but we forget the actual numbers by the time we get to the parking lot outside our doctor's office. So it may be worth reviewing the basics.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance circulating in your blood. Some of your cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. But the bulk of it is actually made in your own body, specifically in the liver. Cholesterol does have some good uses. It is needed to make some hormones and it is important for the function of our cells. But an excess of it in the bloodstream can lead to trouble.
Cholesterol comes in several different forms, but doctors focus mostly on two: LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.
LDL is also called "bad cholesterol" -- Sperling suggests that you think of the "L" as standing for lousy. LDL cholesterol can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most people should aim for a level of less than 100 mg/dL. However, people who already have heart disease may need to aim for under 70 mg/dL.
HDL is "good cholesterol." Imagine the "H" stands for healthy, Sperling suggests. This type of cholesterol attaches to bad cholesterol and brings it to the liver, where it's filtered out of the body. So HDL cholesterol reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your system. You should aim for 60 mg/dL or higher.
Triglycerides are not cholesterol but another type of fat floating in your blood. Just as with bad cholesterol, having a high level of triglycerides increases your risk of cardiovascular problems. Aim for a level of less than 150 mg/dL.
So although we all talk about high cholesterol risks, the term is a little misleading. What we really mean is high levels of bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and a low level of good HDL cholesterol.
What about total cholesterol, which is the sum of your LDL and HDL? While anything under 200 mg/dL is still considered the target, most experts don't focus on the number. It doesn't mean all that much. "Someone can have a total cholesterol of under 200 -- which is lower than average for Americans -- but still have unhealthy levels of HDL or LDL," says Sperling.
Realizing the Risks: How Harmful Is High Cholesterol?
Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. But if your levels of LDL are too high, the excess can accumulate on the walls of your arteries. This build-up of cholesterol and other substances -- called plaque -- can narrow the artery like a clogged drain. It can also lead to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which turns the normally flexible tissue into more brittle.
Plaques can form anywhere. If they form in the carotid artery in the neck, it's carotid artery disease. When they form in the coronary arteries -- which supply the heart muscle with blood -- it's called coronary artery disease. Like any organ, the heart needs a good supply of blood to work. If it doesn't get that blood, you could get angina, which causes a squeezing pain in the chest and other symptoms.
There are other high cholesterol risks. If these plaques break open, they can form a clot. If a clot lodges in an artery and completely chokes off the blood supply, the cells don't get the nutrients and oxygen they need and die.
If a clot gets to the brain and blocks blood flow, it can cause a stroke. If a clot lodges in the coronary arteries, it can cause a heart attack.
Do We Underestimate High Cholesterol Risks?
The risks of high cholesterol are quite clear. "If you look at populations of people," says Sperling, "the higher the cholesterol, the higher the level of heart and blood vessel disease." It's that simple.
But experts say that people don't take high cholesterol risks seriously enough. According to the CDC, in 2005 almost a quarter of American adults said they hadn't had their cholesterol checked in the last five years.
One problem is that high cholesterol doesn't cause symptoms that make people pay attention.
"People naturally respond more to medical conditions that cause symptoms," says Nathan D. Wong, PhD, fellow of the American College of Cardiology and director of the Heart Disease Prevention Program at the University of California, Irvine. Since you won't feel your rising cholesterol levels, you won't go to the doctor about it.
By the same token, people may be less likely to stick to treatment for high cholesterol than they would be for a painful condition.
"People on cholesterol-lowering medicine don't feel any better," says Sperling. "It's not like taking a painkiller for an aching knee, where you know it's working." As a result, people may be less likely to follow their treatment plan over the long-term, Sperling says.
Also, high cholesterol risks are usually not immediate. The damage accumulates over years and decades -- high cholesterol in your 20s and 30s can take its toll in your 50s and 60s. Because the effects take time, many people don't feel real urgency in treating it. They feel they can just deal with it later.
"Unfortunately, I think that many people are too casual about their high cholesterol," says Adolph Hutter, MD, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "They ignore it for years and it only gets their attention when they actually develop vascular disease."
Taking Action to Lower High Cholesterol Risks
There are many good treatments for heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and other serious conditions caused by high cholesterol. But it's a terrible shame to let things get that far when making changes now could prevent these life-threatening illnesses. Reducing your high cholesterol risks is a crucial step.
So what should you do? First, go to the doctor. "It's very important for all adults to get their cholesterol tested," says Wong. Every adult over 20 should have a cholesterol test at least once every five years.
Also, keep track of your cholesterol levels yourself. Write down your current numbers and, if they're high, what numbers you should be striving for.
If you do have high cholesterol, get serious. Talk with your doctor about what your goals should be and how you should achieve them. Make sure you understand what lifestyle changes you need to make. If you already have heart disease or other risk factors like diabetes, you need to be even more careful.
Whatever you do, don't ignore your high cholesterol risks. Don't put off treatment for another year.
"Having high cholesterol may not hurt you today or tomorrow," says Sperling. "But if you don't do something about it, it can have a terrible cost down the road."
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"bharatheeyan-santhosham"
High Cholesterol Risks:
There are usually no symptoms of high-risk cholesterol, yet the dangers are very real -- even fatal.
By R. Morgan Griffin
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD
A lot of people don't take the risks of high cholesterol very seriously. After all, one out of five people have high cholesterol. A staggering 50% of Americans have levels above the suggested limit. Could something so common really be a serious health risk?
Unfortunately, yes. Cholesterol is a direct contributor to cardiovascular disease, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.
"Despite all of the amazing medicines and treatments we have, cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death and illness in our society," says Laurence S. Sperling, MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Ga.
The World Health Organization estimates that almost 20% of all strokes and over 50% of all heart attacks can be linked to high cholesterol.
But if you've been diagnosed with high cholesterol, don't despair. The good news is that high cholesterol is one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks that you can change. You just need to take action now, before your high cholesterol results in more serious disease.
All About High-Risk Cholesterol Numbers
When it comes to high cholesterol risks, it's tough to keep the details straight. We might have a vague idea of whether our cholesterol is "good" or "bad," but we forget the actual numbers by the time we get to the parking lot outside our doctor's office. So it may be worth reviewing the basics.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance circulating in your blood. Some of your cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. But the bulk of it is actually made in your own body, specifically in the liver. Cholesterol does have some good uses. It is needed to make some hormones and it is important for the function of our cells. But an excess of it in the bloodstream can lead to trouble.
Cholesterol comes in several different forms, but doctors focus mostly on two: LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.
LDL is also called "bad cholesterol" -- Sperling suggests that you think of the "L" as standing for lousy. LDL cholesterol can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most people should aim for a level of less than 100 mg/dL. However, people who already have heart disease may need to aim for under 70 mg/dL.
HDL is "good cholesterol." Imagine the "H" stands for healthy, Sperling suggests. This type of cholesterol attaches to bad cholesterol and brings it to the liver, where it's filtered out of the body. So HDL cholesterol reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your system. You should aim for 60 mg/dL or higher.
Triglycerides are not cholesterol but another type of fat floating in your blood. Just as with bad cholesterol, having a high level of triglycerides increases your risk of cardiovascular problems. Aim for a level of less than 150 mg/dL.
So although we all talk about high cholesterol risks, the term is a little misleading. What we really mean is high levels of bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and a low level of good HDL cholesterol.
What about total cholesterol, which is the sum of your LDL and HDL? While anything under 200 mg/dL is still considered the target, most experts don't focus on the number. It doesn't mean all that much. "Someone can have a total cholesterol of under 200 -- which is lower than average for Americans -- but still have unhealthy levels of HDL or LDL," says Sperling.
Realizing the Risks: How Harmful Is High Cholesterol?
Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. But if your levels of LDL are too high, the excess can accumulate on the walls of your arteries. This build-up of cholesterol and other substances -- called plaque -- can narrow the artery like a clogged drain. It can also lead to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which turns the normally flexible tissue into more brittle.
Plaques can form anywhere. If they form in the carotid artery in the neck, it's carotid artery disease. When they form in the coronary arteries -- which supply the heart muscle with blood -- it's called coronary artery disease. Like any organ, the heart needs a good supply of blood to work. If it doesn't get that blood, you could get angina, which causes a squeezing pain in the chest and other symptoms.
There are other high cholesterol risks. If these plaques break open, they can form a clot. If a clot lodges in an artery and completely chokes off the blood supply, the cells don't get the nutrients and oxygen they need and die.
If a clot gets to the brain and blocks blood flow, it can cause a stroke. If a clot lodges in the coronary arteries, it can cause a heart attack.
Do We Underestimate High Cholesterol Risks?
The risks of high cholesterol are quite clear. "If you look at populations of people," says Sperling, "the higher the cholesterol, the higher the level of heart and blood vessel disease." It's that simple.
But experts say that people don't take high cholesterol risks seriously enough. According to the CDC, in 2005 almost a quarter of American adults said they hadn't had their cholesterol checked in the last five years.
One problem is that high cholesterol doesn't cause symptoms that make people pay attention.
"People naturally respond more to medical conditions that cause symptoms," says Nathan D. Wong, PhD, fellow of the American College of Cardiology and director of the Heart Disease Prevention Program at the University of California, Irvine. Since you won't feel your rising cholesterol levels, you won't go to the doctor about it.
By the same token, people may be less likely to stick to treatment for high cholesterol than they would be for a painful condition.
"People on cholesterol-lowering medicine don't feel any better," says Sperling. "It's not like taking a painkiller for an aching knee, where you know it's working." As a result, people may be less likely to follow their treatment plan over the long-term, Sperling says.
Also, high cholesterol risks are usually not immediate. The damage accumulates over years and decades -- high cholesterol in your 20s and 30s can take its toll in your 50s and 60s. Because the effects take time, many people don't feel real urgency in treating it. They feel they can just deal with it later.
"Unfortunately, I think that many people are too casual about their high cholesterol," says Adolph Hutter, MD, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "They ignore it for years and it only gets their attention when they actually develop vascular disease."
Taking Action to Lower High Cholesterol Risks
There are many good treatments for heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and other serious conditions caused by high cholesterol. But it's a terrible shame to let things get that far when making changes now could prevent these life-threatening illnesses. Reducing your high cholesterol risks is a crucial step.
So what should you do? First, go to the doctor. "It's very important for all adults to get their cholesterol tested," says Wong. Every adult over 20 should have a cholesterol test at least once every five years.
Also, keep track of your cholesterol levels yourself. Write down your current numbers and, if they're high, what numbers you should be striving for.
If you do have high cholesterol, get serious. Talk with your doctor about what your goals should be and how you should achieve them. Make sure you understand what lifestyle changes you need to make. If you already have heart disease or other risk factors like diabetes, you need to be even more careful.
Whatever you do, don't ignore your high cholesterol risks. Don't put off treatment for another year.
"Having high cholesterol may not hurt you today or tomorrow," says Sperling. "But if you don't do something about it, it can have a terrible cost down the road."
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