膽固醇管理 Cholesterol

人體中的膽固醇在我們的身體起著重要的作用，包括製造健康的細胞膜,產生正常發育所必需的性激素荷爾蒙, 並合成維生素D。然而，膽固醇過高可導致血液中的斑塊積聚，提高罹患冠心病、心髒病和中風的風險。不幸的是，如果不驗血，一個有高膽固醇的人是無法檢測到任何相關症狀的。根據美國心髒病協會，心髒病在美國是導致死亡的第一位，而中風則排在第五位。高膽固醇可能是遺傳因素，但往往是不健康的生活方式所致的。幸運的是，採納更健康的生活方式，包括健康飲食和日常運動，可以有效降高膽固醇及相關風險。

Cholesterol in the body plays a few significant functions, including building healthy cell membranes, generating sex hormones for proper development, and synthesizing vitamin D. However, a high level of cholesterol can cause plaques to build up in the blood which raises the risks of coronary heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke. Unfortunately, a person with high cholesterol cannot detect any symptoms of this condition without a blood test. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the #1 cause of death, and stroke is the #5 cause of death in the USA. High cholesterol can be due to genetics, but often it results from an unhealthy lifestyle. Fortunately, adopting a healthier lifestyle, including a healthy diet and daily exercise, can effectively lower cholesterol and the associated risks.