More than 68 million folks in the U.S. have unhealthy levels of lousy LDL cholesterol -- and that puts them at risk for everything from dementia and a lousy sex life to stroke and heart attack. Now a study out of the Universite de Montreal indicates elevated LDL levels are linked to the potential development of another health hazard: Type 2 diabetes.
It seems that elevated LDL (over 70 mg/dL) helps fuel body-wide inflammation and causes changes in metabolic activity within fat (adipose) tissue. That, in turn, negatively effects how your body burns and uses carbohydrates and fats. It's these metabolic abnormalities that can lead to diabetes.
So there's one more reason to adopt a lifestyle plan that maintains a healthy LDL level or lowers it if it's already elevated. LongevityPlaybook.com lays out five steps to achieving healthy blood lipids (LDL and triglycerides).
1. Manage stress and develop a posse and a purpose.
2. Maintain a healthy weight.
3. Get a good dose of physical activity most days (aiming for 150-300 minutes a week) and strength-building activity twice weekly.
4. Eat a plant-based diet with omega-3-rich salmon and fibrous vegetables and ditch red and processed meats, excess saturated fats, and added sugars and syrups.
5. Establish a healthy sleep routine.
To jump start your battle to lower your LDL, talk to your doc about taking a statin. Combining that with lifestyle upgrades and a multivitamin/mineral (half, twice a day) can make your future healthier and happier. But, however you do it, get your LDL below 70 mg/dL.
Dr. Mike Roizen is the founder of www.longevityplaybook.com, and Dr. Mehmet Oz is global advisor to www.iHerb.com the world's leading online health store. Roizen and Oz are chief wellness officer emeritus at Cleveland Clinic and professor emeritus at Columbia University, respectively. Together they have written 11 New York Times bestsellers (four No. 1's).
(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2023 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
