What Is a Heart Attack?
A heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction (MI), happens when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked. When this happens, that part of the heart is damaged. This can lead to the death of those affected cells from not having enough oxygen if the blood flow is not restored fast enough.
Heart attack is the number one cause of death in the United States, followed by cancer. Chances of surviving a heart attack are directly related to the amount of time it takes to get treatment after the heart attack starts. For this reason, it is imperative that people know the signs of a heart attack, know first aid and CPR, and get medical attention early.
Most heart attacks are brought on by CAD, or coronary artery disease. CAD is a build-up of plaque in the arteries that carry blood to the heart. This plaque builds up over a long period of time and can burst. When it does, it can cause a blood clot that can block the artery totally or partially. This cuts off the supply of blood to the heart and causes a heart attack.
How Cholesterol Contributes to a Heart Attack
The plaque that builds up in the coronary arteries is made up of a fatty material called cholesterol that floats around in the blood. Although cholesterol can contribute to heart attacks, our bodies need it. There is good and bad cholesterol. The bad cholesterol, LDL, is the kind that builds up in the coronary arteries. The good cholesterol, HDL, helps to clear the arteries. Total cholesterol level is an indicator of risk for heart disease. However, more important than total cholesterol is the amount of HDL. Having healthy amounts of HDL lowers risk for heart disease because it carries away the fatty deposits from the arteries back to the liver.
Where Does Cholesterol Come From?
Our bodies naturally make all the cholesterol we need. However, we also get it from the food we eat. Foods from animal sources contain cholesterol. Some examples are shrimp, butter, beef, eggs and cheese. One egg yolk contains almost as much cholesterol as should be eaten in a day. The American Heart Association recommends that we eat no more than 300 mg of cholesterol each day. That limit is 200 mg per day if you already have heart disease.
Lower Cholesterol
There are several ways to lower cholesterol. Talk to your doctor about whether your cholesterol levels are high and what course of action to take to reduce them. Some ways to lower cholesterol are: cardiovascular exercise; reduce cholesterol in the diet; take cholesterol-lowering medication; eat soy protein; avoid smoking.
According to the FDA, eating at least 25 g of soy protein per day combined with a diet low in cholesterol will reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 10 percent. For every 1 percent reduction in cholesterol, there is a 2 percent reduction in the risk for heart disease.
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