Most people think that cholesterolis dangerous for the body. Indeed, its excess has a negative impact on health, but a lack of it does not lead to anything good. Every person needs to donate blood annually for a study of cholesterol levels in order to identify deviations from normal values. Below we will talk about how to donate blood for cholesterol and decipher the result of the analysis.
The statement that cholesterol is fundamentally wrongonly has a harmful effect. This fat-like substance (“fatty bile” in literal translation) envelops all the cell membranes of the body, protecting them from adverse factors.
Without cholesterol, brain work is impossible- it is a significant part of the white and gray substances. The sheath of nerve fibers also contains cholesterol. Due to participation in the production of hormones, it is necessary for the full work of the adrenal glands and the reproductive system.
Cholesterol is partially synthesized by the body, the rest comes from food.
Doctors divide cholesterol into beneficial and harmful because of the heterogeneity of its composition:
How is it that cholesterol is simultaneouslyuseful and harmful? It is transported from the blood to the tissues of organs with the help of special proteins - lipoproteins. These proteins also have different density, the quality of cholesterol transfer depends on it. Low-density proteins are not able to fully transfer it - part of the cholesterol remains in the vessels.
Cholesterol should always remain normal. Its deficiency affects the mental state, and an excess provokes the occurrence of serious diseases or complicates the course of existing ones.
A blood test for cholesterol is an important part of health monitoring. It is recommended to take an analysis annually in order to prevent the development of serious illnesses in a timely manner
Those at risk of high levels of harmful cholesterol:
How often to pass the test for cholesterol to people belonging to any category should be decided by the attending physician in each particular case after a thorough examination.
From knowing how to donate blood oncholesterol, depends on the result of the analysis. This is actually very important. To obtain an accurate picture, special attention should be paid to preparing for the blood test for cholesterol:
Blood sampling is carried out on an empty stomach, the last meal session should take place 12 hours before the analysis.
Before you donate blood for a cholesterol test,need at least 4 hours to refrain from smoking. At the same time, the use of carbonated drinks, juices, fruit drinks, tea, coffee, etc. is prohibited. It is allowed to drink pure water without gas.
In order to maximize the resultreliable, it’s not enough to follow the recommendations on how to donate blood for cholesterol and prepare for the analysis. Equally important is the emotional state. Before the procedure, you need to sleep, and half an hour before donating blood, relax and think about what is pleasant.
The blood is taken from a vein, so you need to take care of comfortable clothing in advance.
Unit of measurement of blood cholesterolis mmol / l. It is one of the 3 main units of laboratory research and shows the atomic (molecular) mass of cholesterol per 1 liter of blood.
The minimum amount of cholesterol in the blood - 2.9 units, it is detected in children at birth, as it grows, it increases.
Different amount of cholesterol in men andwomen. In addition, for women, the rate grows slowly, and for men it rises sharply in youth and middle age. When menopause occurs in women, the amount of cholesterol increases rapidly and becomes much more than in men of the same age. That is why the beginning of menopause - a significant reason to donate blood for research.
The normal range of cholesterol in the blood of women is 3.5-7 units, for men - 3.3-7.8 units.
If the study showed abnormalities, you must donate blood for an advanced analysis of the number of lipoproteins, showing the ratio of "good" and "bad" cholesterol.
The norm of low-density proteins: 2.3-4.7% for men, 1.9-4.4% for women; high: for men - 0.74-1.8 units, for women - 0.8-2.3 units
Additionally revealed the number of triglycerides.- substances involved in cholesterol metabolism, the unit of measurement is also mmol / l. Their number should not exceed 0.6-3.6 units. in men and 0.5-2.5 units. among women.
The final step is to calculateatherogenic coefficient: the ratio of “good” and “bad” is subtracted from the total cholesterol. If the result is not more than 4, it is considered that the state of cholesterol metabolism is normal.
Important! The indicators may have minor deviations, which can be the norm - they are individual for each person.
If the results of blood tests for cholesterolshowed its total amount over 5.0 mmol / l, and the “bad” cholesterol is more than the “good” one, it is customary to talk about hypercholesterolemia. It is important to take tests regularly, since at the initial stage the disease does not manifest itself.
Over time, symptoms appear that indicate the progression of the disease:
If cholesterol is elevated in a blood test, it is important to rethink your lifestyle and change your diet.
Prohibited foods:
It is necessary to focus on the content of saturated fats in foods, and not on cholesterol, since the human liver synthesizes the “bad” cholesterol from them.
To reduce cholesterol, it is recommended to use regularly:
A healthy lifestyle, a balanced diet and proper rest will solve the problem of high cholesterol.
A cholesterol count below 3.0 mmol / l is a serious health hazard.
With a reduced content of the vessels weaken andburst - this is the main cause of hemorrhages, leading to death. Nerve fibers are deprived of a strong protective shell that threatens with depressions, dementia, chronic fatigue, aggression.
People with low cholesterol are more susceptible to cancer and mortality for various reasons.
Hypocholesterolemia increases the risk ofalcohol and drug addiction 5 times. This is due to the fact that the psycho-emotional state of a person depends on the level of cholesterol, which can even lead to suicide.
The problem of cholesterol deficiency is very serious.First of all, it is important to exclude from your life harmful addictions and to reconsider the gastronomic habits. It is important to follow a diet and not to eat foods that are prohibited with high cholesterol. In order not to bring to excess the "bad" cholesterol, you need to eat more greens and nuts.
Любая лаборатория может провести этот анализ.For a free procedure, you must take a referral from your doctor and register for blood donation. As a rule, it takes a lot of time, so people often turn to private clinics. By prior appointment (the registrar will always remind you how to donate blood for cholesterol), you can come to the medical clinic and go through the procedure. The result is usually ready on this day or the next. Independent laboratories also take blood for cholesterol, most often in the queue. The choice should be made in favor of the institution where the blood is collected quickly and comfortably, the result is prepared promptly and there is an optimal research cost.