Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 22, Number 12, 1 Kekemapa 2005 — Good, bad or ugly? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Good, bad or ugly?

Aloha mai kākou. I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving turkey day celebration. The holiday season is here and keeping on track with our health needs to be kept a high priority. In my efforts to learn about a healthy lifestyle, I've decided to find out more about that critter called "cholesterol." Many people have heard about cholesterol through advertisements and/or commercials of popular cholesterol lowering medication, but what do we really know about cholesterol? Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance produced by the liver and it's found in our bloodstream and body's cells. Cholesterol is a nonnal part of a healthy body and is used for producing eell membranes and some hormones along with serving other essential bodily functions. So far the information sounds okay, so when does cholesterol turn into something bad or ugly? Well, a high level of cholesterol in one's blood is considered a major risk factor for heart disease! When you have too mueh cholesterol in your blood, cholesterol and other substances build up in the walls of your arteries, and this buildup is called plaque. The plaque causes your arteries to harden and heeome narrow. As the arteries narrow, the blood flow to your heart slows down. Since blood carries oxygen to the heart, if not enough blood and oxygen is allowed to reach your heart, you may suffer chest pains. The worst-case scenario is if the blood supply is totally blocked and then a heart attack follows!

So how do we eheek our cholesterol? The American Heart Association notes that it is best to have your cholesterol measured at least onee every five years if you are age 20 or older. Of course, consult your physician to get advice that pertains to your individual situation. You will need a fasting blood test called a "lipoprotein profile" to find out some cholesterol numbers, including "good" cholesterol: total cholesterol, LDL (lowdensity lipoprotein) "bad" cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) "good" cholesterol and triglycerides. To explain the "good" and "bad" cholesterol a bit more: • LDL (bad) cholesterol is the main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries. When too mueh of it circulates in the blood, it ean slowly build up in the walls of your arteries. HDL (good) cholesterol helps remove the "bad" cholesterol from your arteries and prevents blockage. Higher HDL numbers are better. Triglycerides is another form of fat in your blood and ean also add to the risk of heart disease. You should consult your physician to explain what your cholesterol numbers mean and to give you an indication of what your cholesterol goals are. A variety of things ean affect cholesterol levels and there are things you ean do maintain a healthy level such

as (1) reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet; (2) losing weight ean help lower your LDL and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your HDL and lower your triglyceride levels; (3) incorporating regular physical activity helps lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and raise HDL cholesterol levels. You should have your cholesterol checked by your healthcare provider because high cholesterol has no symptoms. As always being proactive has its rewards. I found the American Heart Association's website www. americanheart.org very informative. Keep up with the "good," control the

"bad," and you'll never be "ugly." Here's wishing you all good heahh and good holidays, too! For those who are overweight and diabetic: The Taking Control of Your Diabetes conference will be held in Honolulu on Feb. 11, 2006, and on Moloka'i Feb. 12, 2006. For information, eall toll-free 800-998-2693 or visit www. tcoyd.org. As always, my staff and I invite your comments. My OHA access numbers are: phone 594-1854, fax 594-0210 and email is dantec@oha.org. Mālama pono, a hui hou.

LEO 'ELELE • TRUSTEE MESSAGES

Dante Keala Carpenter TrustEE, O'ahu