Vitachol joint care
Tech Info
Diseases of the heart and circulatory system (cardiovascular disease or CVD) are the main cause of death in the UK: accounting for just under 233,000 deaths in 2003.1
More than one in three people (38%) die from CVD.
- The main forms of CVD are coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
- About half of all deaths from CVD are from CHD and about a quarter are from stroke (Table 1.2).
- CHD by itself is the most common cause of death in the UK. Around one in five men and one in six women die from the disease.
- CHD caused just under 114,000 deaths in the UK in 2003 (Table 1.3 and Figs 1.3a and 1.3b).
- CVD is one of the main causes of the 63,000 premature death in the UK (death before the age of 75). 34% of premature deaths in men and 25% of premature deaths in women are from CVD (Figs 1.3c and 1.3d).
The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease Guidelines for achieving the national target to reduce death from coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and related disorders by 40% in people aged under 75 years by the year 2010.2
Sadly, at this time one in four men and one in five women will die from CHD which is the commonest cause of death in the UK.
- One of the factors involved is the level of circulating cholesterol in the blood.
- The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease Guidelines recommends Statin therapy only for those patients with pre-existing disease or a 10 year risk of 30% or more.
- 100,000’s of people who are not within this risk sector are therefore offered no alternative but lifestyle changes to maintain healthy their cholesterol levels.
Recently, the EU and FDA have approved the use of Plant Sterols as safe for use in food products such as margarines and yoghurts.
VITACHOL contains Plant Sterols derived from wood processing. Wood derived Plant Sterols have been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels within 30 days versus placebo.
VITACHOL is formulated in a swallowable capsule which is taken at the time of eating or can be sprinkled onto food.
What Are Cholesterol and Lipids?
Most people think that cholesterol is bad for them. In fact cholesterol and many other lipids are essential nutrients in the body. Lipids are fats or fat-like substances found in plants and animals and Cholesterol is an important lipid, which in spite of its bad press, is an essential nutrient necessary for:
- repairing cell membranes
- manufacturing vitamin D on the skin's surface
- creating hormones, such as oestrogen and testosterone.
Two thirds of the cholesterol we need is manufactured in the liver when stimulated by eating saturated fat and the rest is supplied by the diet.
Lipids, including cholesterol are transported around the body in spherical-shaped bodies called lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are categorised according to size and include, low density lipoproteins (LDL), and high density lipoproteins (HDL).
Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL)
The primary villain in the cholesterol story is low density lipoprotein (LDL). This lipid, which transports about 75% of the blood's cholesterol to the body's cells, is normally a major criteria for needing to lower high cholesterol levels. LDL can be easily oxidised by free radicals at blood vessels walls and attach to the lining causing plaque or atheromas to form. These are the basis of blocked arteries causing Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or Cardiovascular Disease (CVD).
High Density Lipoproteins (HDL)
High levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL) are important for health. HDL serves to remove cholesterol from the walls of the arteries and return it to the liver. High HDL levels (above 1.0mmol/l) appear to protect arteries from dangerous narrowing and so help prevent heart attacks. Lower HDL levels are associated with an increased risk of CHD.
LDL and Coronary Heart Disease.
Free Radicals are released naturally during the body's chemical processes. If LDL collects on arterial walls, free radicals released from the wall membranes attack and modify its form resulting in oxidized LDL. This in turn triggers white blood cells in the immune system to gather at the site, forming a fatty substance called plaque and causing inflammation. As the plaque builds up, the arterial walls slowly constrict, reducing blood flow. This process -- atherosclerosis -- is the major contributor to the development of coronary heart disease when vital tissues in the heart fail to receive enough of the blood-borne oxygen they need and are damaged.
Cholesterol Guidelines
A number of studies have now demonstrated that reducing LDL and total cholesterol levels and boosting HDL levels have improved survival and prevented heart attacks in people with or without heart disease, even when their cholesterol levels were considered normal. Many experts now urge that everyone should strive for total cholesterol levels of 5mmol/l or below and LDL cholesterol level of 3mmol/l or below.
Risk factors include
- a family history of heart problems
- smoking
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- being older (over 45 for men and 55 for women)
- Lack of exercise.
People with existing heart disease should aim for LDL levels of below 3mmol/l. High HDL-cholesterol levels are as important as low LDL levels, particularly in women; experts recommend 1mol/l and above.
What Can Be Done About It?
- Even modest lowering of cholesterol in those whose levels are high, whether through drug therapy or lifestyle changes, reduces the risk of disability and death from heart disease.
- Every time a person's cholesterol level drops by 1%, the risk of heart disease drops by 2%.
Lifestyle changes to lower high cholesterol levels a careful diet, healthy lifestyle and reduction in cholesterol absorption.
| Pack size | Duration | £ per day | £ per pack | Quantity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|