Table of Contents
Fats are known to be very important in the body; they serve very important roles in insulation and in the production of other substances necessary for body growth and development.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance used by the body to make hormones like progesterone – the pregnancy hormone, oestrogen, cortisol – the stress hormone, etc.
It is also important in maintaining the fluid nature of cells; the cell membranes surrounding the cytoplasm of cells is made up of a phospholipid bi-layer which permits the entrance of some substances into the cell and inhibits some from coming in.
Additionally, the myelin sheath of nerves is made of cholesterol. This sheath serves as insulation for the nerve cells enabling rapid transmission of nerve impulses.
Under normal circumstances, the body makes all the cholesterol and triglycerides required by the body in the liver. Therefore, excessive intake of cholesterol and triglycerides result in accumulation in the body which may lead to further health complications.
The word cardio is used to refer to anything concerning or relating to the heart, while vascular refers to blood vessels (arteries and veins) in the body.
Therefore, cardiovascular diseases are those diseases and ailments that can affect the heart and blood vessels and most likely impair the function of these parts in circulation.
The effect of cholesterol on heart diseases is both surprising and interesting. Surprising because most people do not expect that excess intake of certain types of fat have such abilities; and interesting because it is quite easy to learn and understand the cause and effects of heart diseases as relates to cholesterol.
Imagine a pipe used to connect being blocked by one thing or the other, the implication is that the water will not be able to get to its destination.
As simple as this looks in the pipe illustration, it means a lot when blood vessels in the body are involved.
Fat is a condensed form of oil, while blood is made up mostly of water; and blood and oil are two immiscible substances that cannot combine to give one particular product.
This implies that when there is excess fat in the form of cholesterol, just like that refuse in the water pipe, it accumulates in the blood vessels causing the walls of arteries to become narrow, hence blood flow to the heart is rapidly reduced or even stopped. This process is called atherosclerosis, and it is a form of cardiovascular disease.
How to Correct Your Name, Date of Birth and Other Mistakes in Your NIN Do…
PwC Bootcamp Nigeria Software Engineering Career Program 2024: See Eligibility Criteria The PwC Bootcamp Nigeria…
KPMG Graduate Trainee Program 2025: See the Application procedure and eligibility criteria All qualified individuals…
JAMB UPDATE 2024: UTME Result Release JAMB has announced that the 2024 JAMB results are…
Are you Feeling Dizzy When you Suddenly Stand up? Here are Some of the Reasons…
How to Change the Sizes of Your Desktop Icon Are the sizes of your desktop…
This website uses cookies.