Hypertension, known as high blood pressure, is one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Blood lipids include several types which can affect blood pressure by either causing it to become high or by helping it to remain low.
According to Hypertension, the Journal of the American Heart Association publish December 2005, dyslipidemia is a strong predictor of CVD, may also predict incident hypertension. This study analyzed 3110 healthy men, who provided baseline blood samples for measured total cholesterol (TC) and HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), and calculated non-HDL-C and the TC/HDL-C ratio. After 14,1 year follow-up, 1019 men developed hypertension. The results of this study indicated men who had highest TC level, non-HDL-C level, and TC/HDL-C ratio had increased risks of developing hypertension of 23%, 39%, and 54%, compared with participants in the lowest levels. There was a good news from this research that men who had high level of HDL-C had a 32% decreased risk of developing hypertension compared with those in the low level.
Do you know about hypertension?
Hypertension is a chronic medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is elevated. The increasing of blood pressure can cause damage to the walls of the blood vessels and raise strain on the heart. Health professionals always advice patients to maintain a blood pressure of less than 120 mmHg for systolic and less than 80 mmHg for diastolic. When the systolic pressure increases to greater than 140 mmHg or the diastolic pressure increases to greater than 90 mmHg, it is actually a diagnosis of hypertension. The presence of certain types of lipids may contribute to high blood pressure.
Blood lipids
- Cholesterol
"Cholesterol" comes from the Greek word chole, meaning "bile", and the Greek word stereos, meaning "solid, stiff". Cholesterol is a fat which is produced in the liver and is crucial for normal body functioning. In blood vessels, cholesterols is carried by lipoprotein. Cholesterol is carried in the blood by molecules called lipoproteins and classified in two types depend on binding lipoprotein.
- Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) carries the cholesterol from the liver to cells for building cell membranes structure or producing hormones.
- High-density lipoprotein (HLDL-cholesterol) carries excess cholesterol from the tissues to the liver where it gets broken down and excreted.
- Triglycerides
Triglycerides is a type of lipid which is orginal from excess calories and stored in fat cells. Triglycerides is tranfered through blood vessels by binding to lipoprotein. Scientists confirmed the higher triglycerides levels the higher risk of cardiovascular disease. This lipid can cause atherosclerosis, make the blood vessels wall thick and hard. This condition leads blood flow difficultly and increasing blood pressure.
It is too difficult to determine high blood lipids levels or high blood pressure is the main reason which cause cardiovascular diseases. High blood pressure damages the blood vessel walls and cholesterol accumulation usually presents at the areas of damage. The cholesterol buildup restricts the blood flow, which causes blood pressure to increase.
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