The screening for cholesterol is a critical step to identify people with elevated cholesterol, and who may require treatment for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Ian del Conde, Cardiovascular Specialist with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, says food affects triglycerides The specialist also talks about when this screening should start and explains what LDL…...

There are several high cholesterol risk factors such as: high blood pressure, pre-diabetes, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, being overweight, family history and age. Also, these overall factors are risks for cardiovascular diseases, affirms Dr. Deepa Sharma, Family Medicine Physician with Baptist Health Primary Care. Managing all risk factors can prevent any cardiovascular problem, she says. [vc_toggle…...

Lipids are basically fats. Dr. Jonathan Fialkow, Chief Population Health Officer with Baptist Health South Florida, explains fatty acids oils are absorbed by people’s body; it uses and packages them in certain ways. Lipids are fatty compounds and they’re not soluble in water. The two main lipids are cholesterol and triglycerides, he describes. Cholesterol is…...

Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States. Samantha Chen, Registered Nurse at West Kendall Baptist Hospital, says the majority of the people she sees have high cholesterol. "All of the advantages in the preventive space and in the treatment space with angioplasty, thrombolytics, defibrillators and transplants have made a huge impact…...

Dr. Ted Feldman, Medical Director of Prevention and Community Health with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, says statin drugs are the ones that have been available since 1985 for high cholesterol treatment. "They block the synthesis of cholesterol in the liver cells where most cholesterol is made, telling the liver cell 'I need more cholesterol',…...

More significant than cholesterol numbers is the lifestyle of the patient for understanding them. Dr. Rosendo Collazo, Internal Medicine Physician with Baptist Health Primary Care, explains sedentarism and smoking are the main factors to be addressed. He describes the cholesterol profile has two components: the good component is HDL and the bad component, LDL. He…...

With a digital imaging, Dr. Rosendo Collazo, Internal Medicine Physician with Baptist Health Primary Care, explains the artery. He describes the normal elements of the artery and the development of plaque. He also explains how cholesterol can create an inflammatory response that helps develop the plaque. Having low cholesterol reduces the risk of clots, he…...

Lisa Klein-Davis, Physician Assistant with Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, affirms there are some people who have certain genetic abnormalities, that they have really high levels of cholesterol. She also describes in that case, diet and exercise can help the patient lower their cholesterol levels. In some cases, medication is required. Dr. Jonathan Fialkow, Chief…...