Archive for July, 2013
Can thin people have high cholesterol?
Most people associate high cholesterol with those who are obese. These people will be surprised at the fact that even thin people are equally likely to suffer from high cholesterol. People who suffer from high cholesterol have high fat level in the blood. High cholesterol does not impact the fat under the human skin.
People who are obese have high cholesterol because the fat metabolism in their body changes due to changes in insulin resistance. However, this does not mean that people who are thin cannot have high cholesterol.
Symptoms
People who suffer from high cholesterol don’t exhibit any symptoms. However, high cholesterol is known to aggravate the symptoms of other problems in the body. For instance, if a person who has high cholesterol also suffers from hypertension, they can experience pain in the back and the neck.
If you believe that you are suffering from high cholesterol levels, you must visit your healthcare provider at the earliest. Your doctor could check if there are fat deposits on your eyelids. These fat deposits contain high levels of fatty acids called triglycerides and they exist on eyelids of people who have high cholesterol levels.
People who are aged over 45 years must get their cholesterol checked once every six months. If you or anyone in your family suffers from this problem, you must get your cholesterol checked once a year since the age of 30 years.
People who have a cholesterol level of more than 240 mg/dl in their blood are said to suffer from high cholesterol level. If high cholesterol level is detected at an early age, several complications that are caused due to high cholesterol levels can be avoided.
Reasons why thin people suffer from High Cholesterol
Since both obese and thin people can suffer from high cholesterol levels, it is important understand why thin people suffer from high cholesterol, Here are some important reasons:
Inactive Lifestyle
One of the main reasons why thin people have high cholesterol is because they don’t do regular exercise. This increases the levels of saturated fatty acids, which increases their cholesterol level. Also, most people use the latest gadgets to complete their day-to-day activity which reduces their activity level. They also watch television or use their computer when they are free, which reduce their physical activity and increases cholesterol.
Poor Eating Habits
Eating foods that contain saturated fatty acids on regular basis can increase the cholesterol levels. Some of the foods that are rich in bad cholesterol are egg yolk, pork, shrimp, margarine, and liver. Most thin people eat less food but they still suffer from high cholesterol because they don’t eat nutritious food.
Alcohol
Drinking excessive alcohol can increase the cholesterol levels in the body. However, moderate drinking of alcohol helps in increasing the levels of good cholesterol. When you drink too much alcohol, it cannot be metabolized by the body which increases the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
Stress
Hectic lifestyle has increased the stress levels, which is one of the major causes of high cholesterol. Studies have shown that increased stress levels can result in accumulation of glucose and fatty acids which increases cholesterol.
Genes
Your genes are also responsible for increasing the cholesterol levels in your body. Cholesterol is manufactured by liver which can be done from any food you eat. Your genes affect the functioning of liver in this regard.
Effect of Smoking on Sexual Health
According to World Health Organization, more than 1.5 billion people smoke cigarettes and surprisingly more than 50 million are from United States. No wonder more than 40 million Americans complain that they are stuck in a sexless marriage. These stats suggest that researchers should find out that of the 40 million who claim to be stuck in a sexless marriage, how many are smokers.
Expert View
According to Dr. Madeleine Castellanos who is a well-known Psychiatrist in New York, smoking will kill a person’s sex life before it kills the person. Cigarettes contain nicotine which affects the blood flow of a person. This can affect the blood flow to the penis which can increase the risk of erectile dysfunction.
Harry Fisher, leading urologist and leader in treatment of Men’s Health issues, is of the view that most people associate smoking with health problems like cancer. Many people don’t know that smoking can affect both fertility and sexuality of men. He further added that smoking could make it different for men to maintain erection because it releases stimulating compounds like adrenaline which clamps down the blood flow to the penis. When less blood reaches the penis, it can result in weaker erection or in some cases, the erection may fail. Dr. Harry Fisher added that in studies conducted to find the causes of erectile dysfunction, smoking is the biggest cause of erectile dysfunction in men. Smoking can also affect a man’s ability to father a child. Studies have shown that smoking can lower the sperm count which can affect a man’s fertility.
Studies
Studies have shown that men who smoke more than 20 cigarettes in day have 65 percent more risk of erectile dysfunction when compared to people who don’t smoke. Studies have also shown that smoking can affect a person’s ability to conceive. In a study conducted by University of Kentucky, it was found that smoking could have a significant negative effect on a person’s ability to conceive. The toxic chemicals in cigarettes can tighten the blood vessels which can lead to erectile dysfunction. Researchers also found that smoking could lead to cancer in the genitals which causes impotency. Smoking can also damage the penile tissues which can affect the penis.
The study also found that people who smoked had sex less than 7 times in a month, whereas people who did not smoke had sex more than 12 times in a month. This difference is significant because most couples who where a part of the study were trying to conceive. Smoking not only reduced a person’s ability to have sex but also impaired the sexual performance of a person. The sexual satisfaction level of people who smoked was just 5.2 on a scale of 1 to 10, whereas the sexual satisfaction level of non-smokers was 8.7. This clearly shows that couples sexual frequency and satisfaction level can increase if they quit smoking.
Why Smoking affects Sexual Health
Nicotine is not only a hypertensive agent but is also a vasoconstrictor. It restricts the flow of blood in the arteries by tightening the blood vessels. Since erection depends on the blood flow to the penis, any restriction in supply of blood can lead to erectile dysfunction. Even 2 cigarettes in a day can lead to erectile dysfunction in male smokers.
Smoking and Women
Even though several studies have been conducted to find the effect of smoking on men, little research has been done to find its effect on women. Health experts are of the view that smoking also affects the sexual health of women. During sexual intercourse, the clitoris, labia and the vagina swell up with blood which increases excitement and sensation. If nicotine restricts blood supply to these parts, it will have a negative effect on both sensation and excitement.
