What is the Relationship Between High Cholesterol and Stroke?

Cholesterol in the body is used interchangeably with the use of fat. Between cholesterol and fat have a lot in common in contributing to health or health problems. But cholesterol is always in the body, whether we consume it or not.

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The Science Behind Cholesterol

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy substance that can be carried throughout the body by the blood. Cholesterol isn’t all bad. Some cholesterol is needed by the body for the production of hormones, vitamins, and other substances that digest in the body. The human body produces cholesterol for all of these purposes and functions.

Cholesterol is carried by red blood cells to all parts of the body in the form of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are cholesterol attached to proteins. The type of cholesterol is determined by the type of protein that makes up lipoproteins.

“Bad” Cholesterol

Bad cholesterol or bad cholesterol is a low density lipoprotein (LD), it moves cholesterol throughout the body and then this cholesterol builds up on the walls of the arteries. As a result, the arteries become narrow and stiff, which is certainly not ideal for good blood circulation.

So, bad cholesterol must be eliminated in the body so as not to trigger many health problems due to blood that cannot flow freely.

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“Good” Cholesterol

This is the opposite of bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol or HDL is a high density lipoprotein. On the other hand, this good cholesterol is in charge of taking excess fat and excess cholesterol to the liver. HDL avoids cholesterol buildup and prevents potential complications of health problems.

How Does High Cholesterol Affect the Body?

If cholesterol is excessive, it will have the potential to become fat deposits, plaque, this fat accumulates along the blood vessels. If this cholesterol accumulates in the arteries or veins then this will be very risky, this is like the carotid and coronary arteries. The task of each of these arteries is to supply oxygen to the heart and brain.

Complications that occur in this circulation will contribute to high cholesterol, which then is at risk of causing coronary disease.

How much cholesterol is in our body is indicated on a lipid profile that measures triglycerides. So, this is also a reflection of how much we are at risk of heart disease.

The Relationship Between High Cholesterol And Stroke

The both of this are related, but the relationship between cholesterol and stroke is complex. This is because there are different types of cholesterol and different types of stroke.

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1. Ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke is caused due to blockage of blood flow and circulation complications. The causes are similar and it shares some of the same risk factors as coronary heart disease. However, until now the contribution of high cholesterol with ischemic stroke is unknown.

2. Hemorrhagic stroke

Hemorrhagic stroke is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel bursts into the brain. Cholesterol here makes blood vessels stiffer. In fact, cholesterol can reduce the risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

We already know that bad cholesterol or LDL is a type of cholesterol that harms our brain and heart. This is because this cholesterol contributes to the development of plaque on the arteries. Cholesterol concentrations above 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are associated with a high potential for ischemic stroke.

However, if the HDL concentration is above 35mg/dl, it can help carry LDL to the liver and remove it from the bloodstream. The ideal HDL is at 60 ml/dl. If it is below 35 ml/dl, HDl cannot transport LDL into the liver to be digested and excreted from the bloodstream, and this causes a stroke.

So, a healthy lifestyle and regulating cholesterol levels are the best ways to prevent stroke.

Causes of High Cholesterol

Obesity. Obesity is a person who has a body mass index or BMI of 30 or higher.
An unhealthy diet or eating too much saturated fat is also a cause of high cholesterol.
Lack of exercise or inactivity also contributes to high LDL and low HDL.
Smoking activity can also reduce HDL and increase LDL, as well as damage the walls of blood vessels, making it vulnerable to cholesterol buildup and deposits in the blood.
Family history of having a stroke is also an indication of the same potential in offspring.

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What are the symptoms of high cholesterol

High cholesterol is not always a symptom. But all foods that are at risk for high cholesterol share you to have symptoms. That is why obesity and likes to consume high cholesterol foods are symptoms of high cholesterol. That is why, among the symptoms of high cholesterol are fatigue and obesity.

Symptoms of heart disease that put you at risk from cholesterol levels can also be “symptoms” of high cholesterol. In addition, there are also symptoms of high cholesterol that appear on the skin, such as orange or yellowish skin and this is a manifestation of heart disease. These are symptoms of high cholesterol that arise as a result of heart disease, so heart disease is also a symptom that you are high in cholesterol.