Effects of Fats and Cholesterol on Cardiovascular Disease - Essay Example

Effects of Fats and Cholesterol on Cardiovascular Disease The debate about the effects of fat and cholesterol on Cardiovascular Disease is never ending, but there is generally a wider consensus that fat and cholesterol contribute to cardiovascular diseases globally. This paper sheds light over how fat and cholesterol affect and increase the risks of cardiovascular diseases, supported by studies and researches of various authors. Following that is a glimpse of the other side of the debate that takes a firm stand against the prior speculation, and states that cardiovascular disease is not a direct cause of high levels of fat and cholesterol inside the body. Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease, abbreviated as CVD, is known to be the leading cause of deaths in the world today (Gaziano, Reddy, Paccaud, Horton, & Chaturvedi, 2006). Cardiovascular diseases include many kinds of diseases that mainly consist of the heart, brain, arteries, and other essential organs. Cardiovascular diseases were not very common back in the start of the 20th century. They accounted for lower than 10% of the deaths in the world. This figure, however, was increased to 30% by 2001, 80% of which included deaths in countries with low income levels. Moreover, it was predicted that by 2020, deaths due to CVD will account for the biggest chunk globally (Gaziano, Reddy, Paccaud, Horton, & Chaturvedi, 2006). Since 1950s, CVD had been the most major cause of death in the developed world, and it was quickly replicated in the developing countries by 2001. In statistical terms, this accumulates to around 50% of deaths in the countries with high income and 28% of deaths in the countries with middle or low levels of income. Currently, however, deaths due to other reasons such as injuries, respiratory diseases and HIV/AIDS play the most significant role in causing death in many parts of the world. But even in those parts, CVD is now evolving to be a significant threat. (Gaziano, Reddy, Paccaud, Horton, & Chaturvedi, 2006) Three of the cardiovascular diseases that cover the most major chunk of deaths due to CVD are Ischemic Heart Disease, Stroke and Congestive Heart Failure. Ischemic Heart Disease The biggest contributer to deaths in the CVD department, in the developed countries as well as the developing countries, is the Ischemic Heart Disease, abbreviated as IHD. The two main appearances of IHD are in the form of acute myocardial infarction and angina. Myocardial infarction is when the blood supply to the heart muscle is obstructed, resulting in the damaging of heart tissue. And angina is the severe chest pain experienced due to lack of oxygen supply to the heart. In 2001, alone, 7.3 million deaths were caused by IHD. (Gaziano, Reddy, Paccaud, Horton, & Chaturvedi, 2006) Stroke A stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident, is what happens when the brain cells die due to disruption in the blood supply to some part of the brain. As a result of the disruption, oxygen and glucose, which are essential nutritions for the brain, are are delivered to it. There are various reasons through which this disruption can take place.(Wedro) The arteries in the brain can become narrow, the arteries that connect to the brain can become hardened, or the blood clots in the heart can travel to the arteries in the brain. Any of these would cause the blockage of the arteries and could result in a stroke. (Wedro) Congestive Heart Failure Abbreviated as CHF, this is the final stage of many heart related diseases. In this, abnormal behaviour in the myocardium takes place which results in fluid retention, fatigue, and possibly reduced logevity. The most common causes for this are IHD and hypertension related heart diseases. When compared to normal people, chances of CHF in hyperintensive men are twice as much and thrice as much in hyperintensive women. It is so severe that in United States, CHF is the cause of 53,000 deaths and a contributer in around 213,000 more deaths. (Gaziano, Reddy, Paccaud, Horton, & Chaturvedi, 2006) Fat, Cholesterol and CVD Fat and its effects There are many misconceptions about Fats. Not all fats are bad. Infact, facts are a vital part of everyone’s nutrition. Dietary fat contributes around 9 calories per gram. When digestion of this dietary fat takes place, it results in the production of fatty acids. Fatty acids are important tools for our body. For instance, the important linoleic acid facilitates in absobing minerals and vitamins and is essential for making our skin healthy and maintaining sound blood pressure levels. (Fats, 2000) There are two main kinds of dietary fat, saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fat is of solid form at room temperature, whereas unsaturated fat is in the liquid form at room temperature. To produce a sufficient amount of linoleic acid, every person must have some amount of unsaturated fat every day. This proves that fat is not necessarily a bad thing. However, saturated fat is what needs to be taken care of in our body to prevent CVD. Saturated fat is named so because its molecule’s chemical structure has no space for additional hydrogens to be linked. The molecules are “saturated”. The main source of saturated fat is animal products such as meat and dairy products. The degree to which saturated fat is consumed should be controlled as it is believed to result in high cholesterol levels leading to CVD (Fats, 2000). It is the high levels of saturated fat that has a role to play in causing CVD. Unsaturated fat, in its molecule’s chemical structure has room for more more hydrogen atoms. They can be found mainly in plant products, such as vegetables, corn, sunflower. Fish oil is also a good source of unsaturated fat. Research has shown that consumption of unsaturated fat does not only produce the essential linoleic acid, but it also contributes in decreasing cholesterol levels and hence, decrease the threats of CVD. (Fats, 2000) Cholesterol and its effects Present inside every cell in the human body, cholesterol is a fatty substance that moves through the blood in the form of particles known as lipoproteins. The three common lipoproteins are the low-density lipoproteins, abbreviated as LDL, high density lipoproteins, abbreviated as HDL, and very low density lop proteins, abbreviated as VLDL. Like saturated fat and unsaturated, HDL and LDL counter each other’s effects. According to researches, high levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to blockage of arteries. Whereas, HDL cholesterol in the blood fights those risks and reduces the chances of CVD. (Birtcher & Ballantyne, 2006) There are two sources of cholesterol. Firstly, the body makes cholesterol of its own. And secondly, we intake cholestrol through food items that come from animals such as meat, milk or eggs. If the intake of this type of food is high, it might result in higher cholesterol levels in the body (Birtcher & Ballantyne, 2006). Just like fats, our body requires cholesterol to function efficiently. But excess amounts of cholesterol can cause the development of plaque. Plaque is a deposit inside the arteries that can grow. When this plaque breaks off, it results in the formation of blood clots. These blood clots are the cause of blockage of arteries causing reduction in the flow and supply of blood and oxygen to the brain, heart and other vital organs of the body. This, consequently, causes a stroke or a heart attack. Therefore, control of the cholesterol levels in your body is essential for a healthy life. (Birtcher & Ballantyne, 2006) The Science About Effects of Fat and Cholesterol on CVD The link between obesity and CVD In recent times, CVD has spread and grown rapidly. It has been reputed as one of the most major menaces to the human health. It has also been noted that the chances of CVD developing increases in those who are suffering from obesity and metabolic syndrome (Cardiol, 2007). The main attribute of abdominal obesity is considered to be the accumulation of excess visceral abdominal tissue, known as VAT. This results in the growth of the metabolic syndrome. As an example, it can be seen that high levels of VAT results in elevated triglycerides. It also decreases the HDL cholesterol which is supposed to counter the negative effects of LDL. Furthermore, it amplifies the blood pressure and can elevate fasting plasma glucose as well. (Cardiol, 2007) It is also important to note that even if the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in individuals with high levels of VAT are observed to be normal (or slightly on the rise), the situation is far from it. Such patients have an increased plasma concentration of LDL particles which are small and very dense. Studies have shown that even with LDL cholesterol levels within limits, the high concentration of the small LDL particles can result in cardiovascular disease (Cardiol, 2007). These conditions can be improved by treatment of the abdominal obesity and the excess VAT. Through the treatment, other factors such as insulin levels, glucose levels and high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels can be improved. (Cardiol, 2007) Research at Saint Louis University School of Medicine In a research, conducted by the Saint Louis University School of Medicine, it was proven that Cholesterol leads to a condition known as atherosclerosis. In this, a key protein, which is supposed to protect the heart and the vessels, is suppressed, leading to an increase in the chances of heart attack and stroke (Link Between Cholesterol And Heart Disease Explained, 2007). The research showed exactly how cholesterol causes atherosclerosis to happen and how it reults in CVD. As discussed previously, atherosclerosis, which is ignited by high blood cholesterol to occur, is the the condition in which results in the hardening of the arteries. This process causes the arteries of the heart and other vital organs to become narrow or damaged, which stops or prevents the efficient blood flow to the organ, and increases the chances of heart attack and stroke. But exactly how cholesterol leads to atherosclerosis has been ambiguous. Chun-Lin Chen, a member of the research team, found out that there is a protein called the transforming growth factor-beta, abbreviated as TGF-beta, and that it is suppressed by cholesterol which does not let it to actively do its job. The TGF-beta has several vital tasks in the body. For instance, it protects a part of the heart and vessels from many kinds of damages such as hypertension and high blood cholesterol levels. This containment of the TGF-beta by cholesterol causes atherosclerosis to develop. (Link Between Cholesterol And Heart Disease Explained, 2007) Furthermore, the findings of the research also identified that drugs that lower cholesterol levels help in stopping the growth of atherosclerosis. This is because by lowering cholesterol levels, the protective functions of TGF-beta are enhanced. Another key finding of the research was that TGF-beta also acts as a tumor suppressor. This was concluded from the fact that high cholesterol levels also lead to cancer. Because TGF-beta is restrained from performing its protective functions, it also results in reduced protection against the development of cancer. (Link Between Cholesterol And Heart Disease Explained, 2007) The Myths about Cholesterol There are, however, some researchers who disagree with the whole concept of the link between fat and cholesterol and CVD. Following are key points of the debate against the effects of fat and cholesterol on CVD: 1. Researchers say that terms like good cholesterol or bad cholesterol are false. Infact, it is the mental and physical stress and change in the weight of the body that causes the high levels of blood cholesterol. Also, the high cholesterol, by itself, is not a threat. (Ravnskov, 2003) 2. Some researches also negate the link between high levels of cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and heart disease. Researchers are of this view because it has been proved that individuals with low levels of blood of cholesterol are as likely to experience atherosclerosis. (Ravnskov, 2003) 3. The majority of cholesterol in the body is produced by they body itself, which accounts to be three to four times more than the cholesterol we intake. This internal production adjusts with the amount of cholesterol we intake. (Ravnskov, 2003) 4. There have been more than twenty studies that show that people who have suffered from a heart attack do not consume more fat than a normal person.(Ravnskov, 2003) 5. The death rates caused by heart problems have not improved due to the drugs that lower cholesterol levels only. (Ravnskov, 2003) 6. It is due to the press and media that wrong information is promoted and false links are established between cholesterol and CVD for the purpose of popularity, financial gains and other benefits. (Ravnskov, 2003). These researchers say that the reason for so much hype promoted in forming postive links between a symptom and a disease is so that pharmaceutical companies can market their medicine and make profits. They say that the researches that promote the positive links between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease are backed by the same pharmaceutical companies who want to sell their drugs to the market. Conclusion Every problem must be anaylsed from both sides. Similarly, the debate about the effects of fat and cholesterol on cardiovascular disease must also be seen from both the angles. There are researches and proofs that support the positive link between cholesterol an CVD and there are also mindsets and convincing arguments present to negate them. It can be clearly seen that a vast majority of researchers and scholars say that there is a positive link present and there arguments to appear to be stronger. It is, however, upto every individual to make research properly and make informed decisions that may vary from case to case. Works Cited Birtcher, K. K., & Ballantyne, C. M. (2006). Measurement of Cholesterol. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from http://pt.wkhealth.com/pt/re/aha/pdfhandler.00003017-200409140-00030.pdf;jsessionid=LJLd9m5Pk40V913YJF8v1DpV1szKXjL8kThNpSsQ4HmT0DWyc1YG!1343080607!181195629!8091!-1 Cardiol, C. P. (2007, June 6). Cardiovascular disease under the influence of excess visceral fat. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from PubMed.gov: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17667865 Fats. (2000, May). Retrieved November 22, 2009, from UWSP University Health Service: http://wellness.uwsp.edu/MedInfo/Handouts/LAs/Fats.pdf Gaziano, T. A., Reddy, K. S., Paccaud, F., Horton, S., & Chaturvedi, V. (2006). Disease Control Priorities in Developing Countries. New York: Oxford University Press. Link Between Cholesterol And Heart Disease Explained. (2007, September 21). Retrieved November 22, 2009, from Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/09/070918100608.htm Ravnskov, U. (2003). The Cholesterol Myths. Wedro, B. C. (n.d.). Stroke. Retrieved November 22, 2009, from Medicine Net: http://www.medicinenet.com/stroke/article.htm Read More