Home | Disease & Illness | Cholesterol

You may reproduce articles from The SmartNetWorld Article Library on your website, in your opt-in newsletter/ezine or ebook free of charge as long as you abide by the simple but important rules in our Terms of Service (T.O.S)
Your use of this article signifies that you accept and agree to abide by the rules of our T.O.S.

Most Important The article must be reproduced exactly as written by the Author including resource box complete with live hyperlinks.

Arteries and Cholesterol

By: Alan Bee

The job of your arteries is to take the pure blood pumped by your heart to various parts of the body. The Dorsal Aorta or the main artery branches out into many smaller arteries. Each body system has arteries which are responsible for providing the oxygen rich blood that keeps us alive.

Too much cholesterol in the blood - especially bad cholesterol - prevents arteries from transporting the maximum amount of blood that they can carry. High levels of bad cholesterol may even prevent arteries from functioning at all, since cholesterol can actually lead to blockages in your arteries. For this reason, it is critical then that we keep arteries free of bad cholesterol for optimal health.

Arteries are constructed of a tough exterior and a soft, smooth interior. Each artery has three specific layers:
a. The outer layer
b. The middle (muscular) layer
c. The inner layer.

Each layer is made up of epithelial cells. The middle layer is elastic and very strong. It helps pump the body's blood. The inner layer is smooth and allows the blood to flow easily. As the heart beats, the arteries expand and are filled with blood. The heart relaxes and produces enough force to push the blood through. In a healthy person, this system works effectively and the blood can carry oxygen and other essentials throughout the body.

Disease fills the arteries with fatty deposits and this becomes a dangerous obstacle to good health. High cholesterol levels fill arterial tubes with thick substances that prevent your arteries from working well. Your heart becomes starved of required blood. If this happens often enough you can suffer a heart attack or a stroke.

The main cause behind heart disease is this thickening of the fatty deposits in the arteries, and the main reason behind the blocking of arteries is high levels of bad cholesterol. This means that if you want to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, you need to keep your cholesterol levels in a healthy range.

Even having "borderline" cholesterol levels - or bad cholesterol levels that are elevated but not considered "very bad" - can increase your chances of heart disease or stroke. No matter what your current health, eating a better diet and getting exercise can help keep you healthy.

Consider this heart disease is one of the leading killers in North America. Lowering your cholesterol levels through a heart-healthy diet and exercise regimen is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease.

Take a few simple steps necessary to lower your cholesterol and enjoy a better and possibly longer life. You owe it to yourself and your family.

Article Source: http://articles-at.smartnetworld.com

Alan Bee writes articles covering a wide range of subjects and enjoys passing on her knowledge and experiences, especially on the Internet. You will find many more articles contributed by Alan at The SmartNetWorld Article Library

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Cholesterol Articles Via RSS!

Additional Articles From - Home | Disease & Illness | Cholesterol

• Acai Berries And Good Cholesterol - What's The Relation? - By : Steve Charles
  
• Lipitor Pravachol | Order Lipitor Online | Order Lipitor| Where To Buy Lipitor - By : Mohan m
  
• lower cholesterol naturally - By : Darrell Darrell00 Darrell Darrell00
  
• How to combat high pressure and cholesterol with soybeans. - By : Parveen
  
• The good, the bad and the ugly facts about fats. - By : Parveen
  
• What Is Cholesterol? - By : Donald Urquhart
  
• A CHOLESTEROL IN MYTH COST YOU DEARLY - By : sginfo1
  
• Cholesterol - Why is it dangerous - By : Donald Urquhart
  
• Destroy cholesterol ! Use Lipitor ! - By : Global DeeJay
  
• What Supplements Can Help my Cholesterol - By : Barry Boswell