Parts of adolescent’s body are filled with a waxy
stuff identified as cholesterol. It helps to produce
vitamin D, cell membranes and certain hormones. Blood
cholesterol comes from two different sources, liver
within the body and food. The adolescent’s liver
produces enough cholesterol to carry out proper
functioning.
The blood acts as the carrier of cholesterol and
transports it to different parts of the body. They are
transported in round particle form known as
lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins called
the low density lipoproteins or LDL and high density
lipoproteins or HDL. Low density lipoprotein or LDL
cholesterol is commonly known as bad cholesterol. It
helps in the building up of plaque in arteries and this
condition is known as atherosclerosis. The LDL level
must be low in the blood and if it is high it must be
decreased. Healthy weight must be maintained and
exercise should be done regularly. Food items which have
high contents of calories, dietary cholesterol and
saturated fat must be avoided.
High density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol is the good
cholesterol. It is actually a kind of fat in blood which
helps to remove bad cholesterol from the body and stops
the build up of plaque in the arteries. The more the HDL
cholesterol in the blood the better it is. The HDL can
be raised by at least twenty minutes of exercising
daily, decreasing body mass and keeping away from food
with saturated fat. Some adolescents need to take
medications in order to increase HDL. In such cases,
increasing HDL can be a complicated procedure and the
physician can make a therapeutic plan to increase HDL in
the blood stream.
Cholesterol screening helps to determine the cholesterol
and fat levels in the blood. Children and adolescents
with normal cholesterol level is a thing of the past.
Because of the changing lifestyle and junk food trend,
even they have a high risk to develop high levels of
cholesterol which also increases the risk of developing
heart diseases which can affect the blood vessels and
the coronary arteries. The main cause of this change is
obesity, junk food high in fat, fast food diets,
sedentary lifestyle and high cholesterol level in family
history. Keeping the blood cholesterol levels at normal
is a good way of avoiding high blood pressure and
coronary artery diseases.
The blood cholesterol level can vary from individual to
individual. Healthy levels of LDL is less than one
hundred and thirty milligrams, HDL is greater than
thirty five milligrams. If the HDL is less than thirty
five milligrams then the adolescent is at a higher risk
of developing heart diseases. And LDL more than one
hundred and thirty milligrams is dangerous. But a high
level of LDL cholesterol is a problem in many citizens
of America. And there is an expected increase in number,
the figure is unknown, of adolescents who have a family
history of high cholesterol levels.
An adolescent or a child who has a parent having high
levels of blood cholesterol and family history of heart
diseases at an early age, should take cholesterol test
from the age of two. Adolescents who are obese also
should have lipid test along with cholesterol test. The
lipid test shows levels of kinds of fats in blood such
as triglycerides, LDL and HDL.
