As a result, it is important for individuals to undergo regular cholesterol testing though recent studies show that few people have their cholesterol level checked. Many wait until they are in their old age to monitor their cholesterol when there is a lot of damage. It is, therefore, not advisable to consult medical attention for people in their 50s and 60s. It is advisable to keep your cholesterol in check at an early age.

According to the Durham based Duke Clinical Research Institute cardiologist Ann Marie Navar – Boggan, the likelihood of getting a heart disease increases by 39% every ten years for an individual living with high cholesterol. She also notes the risks of cholesterol in the journal Circulation published in January.

Ways of Heart Disease Prevention

As noted earlier, it is of great importance to ensure that cholesterol levels are in regular check, especially for young people to reduce the risk f heart disease. Other than seeking medical attention, heart disease can be reduced by ensuring healthier lifestyle. Eating healthier foods such as salads in place of foods with high cholesterol levels is one way of reducing cholesterol levels in the body.

In addition, regular exercises and other weight loss practices such as playing games, gym visits, cycling among other physical exercises help an individual to control the risk of getting heart disease. Prevention is better than cure and therefore, it is necessary for individuals to check their lifestyles while young to prevent the event of suffering from heart disease in the future. Doctors such as Neil Stone counsel young heart disease patients to change lifestyle rather than take statin used to lower cholesterol, the only exception being those individuals with a history of suffering from heart attack at an early age.

Circulation study and AHA guidelines

The researchers of the Circulation study, which was aimed at understanding the long- term effects of high cholesterol in the body, reassessed the health data of the 1478 adults involved in the Framingham Heart Study. They noted that individuals, who lived with high cholesterol for a period of 11- 20 years before they were 55 years old, were four times likely to suffer from a heart disease (Jonathan D., 2015). Researchers also noted that other factors such obesity and diabetes increased the risk of suffering from a heart disease.

The Circulation findings discourage young people from using statin drug and focus more on changing lifestyle, a recommendation also echoed in the American Heart Association guidelines. The guidelines focus more on heart disease risks rather than the cholesterol levels and recommends doctors to perform more tests on young individuals before giving the necessary prescription.

According to Allan Sniderman, a McGill University cardiology professor and a co-author of the Circulation study, it takes many years for a heart disease to develop and heart attacks are because of clumps of cholesterol breaking free, causing clots that block the free flow blood.