Nowadays, we often hear of our relatives and friends complain about high cholesterol and heart attack risks, after getting a Lipid Profile test done. This blood test, frequently requested by doctors, is used to determine the risk of someone having coronary heart disease.
The Lipid Profile is composed of various tests that are able to indicate whether a person is likely to suffer from a heart attack or stroke due to blocked blood vessels. According to this report, the doctor will prescribe measures to reduce these risks – such as medication, dietary or lifestyle changes.
Lipids are fatty substances found in the blood, and are grouped into cholesterol and triglycerides. These fatty substances, contrary to belief are useful and essential for life! They form structural membranes for cells, help form hormones that are useful for development, growth and reproduction, and aid with absorption of nutrients from food. However, like most things in life, too much of fatty substances are bad for you. High levels of fat clog up and damage the blood vessels, preventing blood flow – eventually leading to heart attacks or strokes.
As fatty substances are not soluble in blood, they have to be attached to carrier proteins to be able to enter our cells. There are 3 main carrier proteins depending on the type and concentration of fat they carry:
VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoproteins) carry all the triglycerides and a small amount of cholesterol in the blood. The triglyceride is slowly released, and eventually VLDL becomes LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins), which consists mostly of cholesterol. Excess amounts of LDL cause the blockage of arteries; hence LDL is referred to as bad cholesterol. HDL (High Density Lipoproteins) remove the bad LDL particles from the arteries and bring them to the liver to be broken down. A high value of HDL is a good sign, because it means that more cholesterol is being removed from the body.
