The quality of diet that one takes highly determines the risk for incidence of cardiovascular disease, CVD. Over the years, there have been several ways to identify risk factors to CVD, where the traditional risk factors were hypertension, male sex, smoking, family history as well as diabetes (Di Angelantonio, Gao, Danesh & Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration, 2012). Nowadays, other causes such as obesity have superseded these traditional risk factors. Apparently, poor diets have been contributing to these lifestyle health conditions, accelerating the incidence of cardiovascular disease. Diets with a high concentration of saturated fatty acids have been the major cause of cardiovascular disease (Macini & Stamler, 2004). These diets have a component known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which when its levels exceed the healthy levels, it has detrimental effects on one’s blood flow, clogging blood vessels and eventually leading to cardiovascular disease. In fact, with high levels of LDL cholesterol, one is susceptible to stroke and heart failure. The recommended lipoprotein in managing cholesterol in the body is the high-density (HDL) lipoprotein, where the HDL cholesterol is deemed to be the “good” cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is said to have the capacity of absorbing excess cholesterol from the body, taking it back to the liver where it is flushed out of the body. With a substantial level of HDL cholesterol in the body, one is in a good position to avoid stroke and cardiovascular disease. Following the relationship ensuing between the diets people take, type of lipids accumulated in the body, and cardiovascular diseases, the following study offers a deeper analysis of the levels of each of these compounds to realize a healthy body.
Diet plays a crucial role in preventing or accelerating the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. It has been established that among the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diet is one of the modifiable ones. Therefore, people should focus on what they eat, since this will be a good chance to prevent the incidence of CVD. The major problem that is facing people nowadays is the move from plant-based diets to overconsumption of animal-based diets which are high in saturated fatty acids (Eilat-Adar, Sinai, Yosefy & Henkin, 2013). People are adopting sedentary ways of life, which have fueled new dietary habits that have seen a sharp increase in the obesity epidemic. Since diets that have a high fatty acid count are risk factors for CVD, people should consume healthy diets that are low in saturated fats, low in refined carbohydrates and salts (Stanley, 2010). They should consider taking a lot of fruits and vegetables. Additionally, the consumption of whole grains is advisable, a few servings of nuts and taking fish at least two times in a week is also advisable. It is advisable for people to consume at least 500 grams of vegetables and fresh fruits in a day for them to stay away from such lifestyle diseases. Sodium consumption should also be kept as low as 1500 mg per day (Uusitupa, 2010). With a good diet, individuals will ensure they stay within the recommended body mass index of not more than 25.0 kg/m2. Apparently, those with a BMI of between 25 and 29 kg/m2 are deemed overweight, but those above 30 kg/m2 are said to be obese (Eilat-Adar, Sinai, Yosefy & Henkin, 2013). The WHO statistics show that by the year 2005, 400 million adults were obese, and 1.6 billion were overweight. These statistics are appalling, requiring that people globally observe their diets.
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The issue of high lipid level relates to the type of diet. Lipids are organic compounds in the form of fatty acids, and they are often insoluble in water. Such compounds are only soluble in organic solvents, and they include cholesterol. One type of lipids that have gained must research interest for the past decades is the field of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are lipids in the form of complex macromolecular compounds, which originate from the intestines and the liver. Lipoproteins are involved in the transportation of, as well as the distribution of lipids within the human body. There are various steps involved in the redistribution of lipids within the body, therefore a complex biological process (Macini & Stamler, 2004). The metabolism of lipids is highly linked to various body processes such as energy metabolism, hence plays a crucial role in the body. As such, the body has enhanced complex hormonal controls for the adjustment of lipid homeostasis depending on internal and environmental conditions (Kannel, 2005). According to reports provided by the WHO, around 56% of the identified cases of coronary heart disease was caused by the subjects’ elevated cholesterol levels (Siri-Tarino & Krauss, 2016). LDL cholesterol leads to the accumulation of lipoproteins n the artery wall, accelerating the prevalence of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory process within the artery walls (Namazi et al., 2014). With the further accumulation of the apoB-containing lipoproteins, oxidation occurs, attracting monocytes to the endothelium (Mainali, Zareba & Subczynski, 2016). When they later migrate to the subendothelial space, macrophages are formed which enhance the formation of foam cells releasing chemicals such as cytokines (Yamagata, 2017). Such chemicals further enhance the binding of the monocytes to the endothelium, advancing the process of atherosclerosis (Siri-Tarino & Krauss, 2016). With the further formation of the foam cells and macrophages, lesion growth happens, causing plaque instability. An unstable plaque is detrimental to one’s health since it puts one at the risk of sudden health problems such as stroke and heart attack.
Studies have established that HDL cholesterol has notable athero-protective properties which are essential in slowing the process which leads to cardiovascular disease. With the heterogeneous population of lipoprotein that HDL provides, HDL is capable of effecting a reverse cholesterol transportation process where the excess cholesterol is extracted from the foam cells to the liver where it is excreted through the bile (Anand et al., 2015). Additionally, the prevalence of a healthy level of HDL is crucial since it offers additional health benefits such as those of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory activity, anti-thrombotic activity as well as endothelial repair (Ali, Wonnerth, Huber & Wojta, 2012). Studies, therefore, propose the need for one to know the level of his blood fatty acids, to enhance the reduction of LDL cholesterol and raising of the HDL cholesterol levels (Elis, 2012). The focus relates to achieving the right balance between the athero-protective lipoproteins and the atherogenic lipoproteins to reduce the risk of the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Overall, there is a link between the diet, lipids and cardiovascular disease. The diet people take contributes highly to the levels of cholesterol in the body, which plays a major role in the incidence of cardiovascular disease. It has been established that the diets contribute highly to the health status of such people and therefore it is advised that people should balance between the intake of animal-based foods and plant-based foods. In fact, people are advised to focus more on plant-based foods, to avoid intake of saturated fatty acids contained in the animal products. Such fatty acids contain a high level of LDC cholesterol, which accumulated in the arteries. Accumulation of this cholesterol in the arteries leads to clogging, and enough blood flow is hampered. Eventually, what follows is cardiovascular disease and victims may succumb to heart failure or stroke. Therefore, people are advised to take a lot of fruits, vegetables, natural grains, and nuts to avoid such lifestyle diseases.
References
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