Cholesterol Management: Understanding from a Primary Doctor in the Bronx

Understand the connection between heart health and cholesterol from an experienced primary care physician from Bronx

May 06, 2024 74 views

Liver produces cholesterol that is necessary to perform various metabolic activities. This shows that it is important for your body to work properly. But why do people talk about it when they talk about heart problems? Our primary care physician will explain the connection between cholesterol and heart health. He will also discuss how primary care can help you manage your cholesterol.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is fat-like substance. Your body produces it naturally for different functional activities. It helps to create important hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Our body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly. However, too much of it can cause many health issues like heart disease.

Types of Cholesterol

There are two types. They are:

LDL: This is usually referred to as bad cholesterol. It can stick together inside the arteries when it travels through your blood. More of it can make your arteries narrow. As a result, blood cannot flow properly. It increases the risk of coronary disease and stroke.

HDL: This is known as good cholesterol. It carries the bad ones to the liver to get removed through excretion. Your risk of coronary illness decreases if you have this one in higher amounts.

The Link Between Cholesterol and Heart Health

A high amount of LDL is linked to your heart health. We will explain it to help you understand.

LDLs stick with each other when there is too much in your blood. They can get attached to your artery walls like glue. This makes the arteries narrow. For this reason, your blood cannot move as freely as before. Due to slow blood movement, your heart and other organs may not get the proper amount of blood they need to function. It results in blood clots to naturally heal injuries. Sometimes the buildup of LDL can rupture. Your body takes it as an injury. The blog clots start to form in that area as a natural healing response. These blood clots can create blockages. When this block is formed in the heart, you can have a heart attack. Similarly, if a blockage forms in the brain, it can result in a stroke.

Even though LDL can make you sick, you have HDL as a solution. HDL also flows through your blood. When it comes into contact with excess LDL buildup, HDL carries it to the liver. After that, your liver either utilizes it or removes it from your body. That’s why a higher amount of HDL is important for your overall well being.

How can Primary Care help you manage cholesterol?

Our primary care physicians are skilled at managing cholesterol. Here’s how your PCP can help you control it:

Risk Assessment and Screening

Primary care physicians conduct comprehensive assessments to identify risk factors for heart diseases. We check family history, medical history, cholesterol level and lifestyle behaviors. These assessments help us know your risks for having a coronary disease or other health complications.

Personalized Treatment Plans

We understand the specific needs of our patients after assessing their risk factors. Our doctors create customized treatment plans based on the analysis of patients' health profiles. We recommend lifestyle modification when your cholesterol level is moderately high. Our internal medicine doctors advice diet plans with food items that are good for your heart. We also suggest physical activities to keep you fit. However, we prescribe medications when lifestyle behaviors are not enough to control your levels.

Patient Education

We offer health education to ensure your wellness. Our doctors encourage you to maintain healthy lifestyle. We advise you on food items you must avoid. We tell you about the complications you may face with high cholesterol. We also teach you the symptoms you must be aware of and seek medical help immediately.

Regular Monitoring and Follow Up

Cholesterol is a long term disease. It needs regular monitoring to keep it under control. We provide follow up appointments to monitor the progress of the condition. We check the effectiveness of our treatment plan and adjust it when necessary. We offer our continuous support throughout your cholesterol management journey.

Referral

We do everything we can to keep your condition under control. But sometimes you may need help from specialists for advanced care. We offer referral service where we communicate with other healthcare professionals. We set up your appointment with them. We also share your medical history and other required information with them to ensure you smooth transition in your treatment.

NYCDocs

NYCDocs is your cholesterol management partner in Bronx, NY. Our professional doctors have been preventing and treating chronic diseases in the Bronx community for more than 15 years. We offer regular screening as preventive care measure. We also provide customized treatment to our patients based on their needs and preferences. We have attached imaging facilities for the diagnosis and monitoring of your health condition. We also offer annual physical exam to identify risk factors early. Our Spanish speaking doctors break the language barrier between us and our patients. Our primary care clinic is easily accessible to everyone in Bronx. We are located near the Bronx Highway. We have a large parking space for your convenience. We provide both online and walk in appointments. Get an appointment now.

FAQs

Can cholesterol predict heart disease?

Having too much LDL can be a reason for heart problems. LDL can block your arteries. That's why doctors advise you to control it.

Which cholesterol is related to heart disease?

High LDL is usually related to heart attack and other coronary illnesses. LDL creates problems in regular blood movement. This disruption is a reason behind different diseases. HDL is also related to coronary diseases. But it is taken as good for health because of its ability to remove LDL from the blood.

Can I control LDL levels through lifestyle changes?

Eat good food, exercise regularly and stay relaxed for your well being. You should also manage your weight and quit smoking to keep it controlled.

Are there any medications available to lower cholesterol?

Medications are given to patients when lifestyle changes cannot control cholesterol level properly. Your doctor will assess your overall wellness. If you need medication we will prescribe you.