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High Cholesterol and the Alzheimer's Disease Connection

By Tom Carolan

Republish: EasyPublish™ Published: 26Aug2009 Word count: 455 Viewed: 431 time(s) Get Free Content For Your Site

Recently completed studies of individuals over a 40 year period have shown that high cholesterol levels in middle age increase your chance of getting Alzheimer's disease as you get older. Surprisingly, even a slight elevation in total cholesterol makes the likelihood of getting Alzheimer's higher. However, the good news is that high cholesterol can be reduced quite easily.

If you have high cholesterol, meaning your cholesterol is over 240, or you have borderline high cholesterol, with readings between 200 and 239, you can take control of it yourself. Often by making the proper lifestyle changes you can reduce your cholesterol levels to a healthy number. This means eating better and avoiding items which contribute to high cholesterol; eating more fish or taking fish oil supplements; and exercising on a regular basis. By doing these things you can reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's as you age.

There are also a variety of drugs on the market to help reduce high cholesterol. For those who are not helped by lifestyle changes alone or whose numbers are simply too high, medication to deal with this issue is the best route. Such drugs, as with any drugs, may cause a variety of side effects and you should also be careful for drug interactions when using them.

Cholesterol is a substance, which blocks the blood vessel walls. It is more of a cause than a disease itself. It accumulates and blocks the blood from flowing within the vessels. This leads to heart blockages and heart disease. You can help your heart stay healthy by reducing your high cholesterol.

It is very important to check your cholesterol levels on a regular basis, especially if you have any of the risk factors for high cholesterol. Some people are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol. If you have family members with it, you may want to be tested earlier and more often because your risk may be elevated. Being overweight, having poor eating habits and not exercising enough will also put you at risk for high cholesterol and consequently Alzheimer's. If this is you, get checked out. It's a simple blood test that can make a huge difference to your future. Keeping cholesterol under control will not only help your brain as you age, it will also help your heart.

If you are at risk or if you have high cholesterol, it is important to get medical follow-up and have regular yearly check-ups, which include cholesterol monitoring. In order to do so without worrying about medical costs, it is a good choice to carry medical insurance. More and more households are going without family medical insurance because companies are cutting group medical insurance to save money, but it can be surprisingly affordable.

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