The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has released a recent survey on the health of the country’s population. According to the ICMR, which tested blood samples from 23,665 people across the country, more than 90 percent of people in India have abnormally high levels of harmful cholesterol. This means that 9 out of every 10 Indians currently suffer from uncontrolled cholesterol. Until recently, only unhealthy eating habits were considered as the main cause, but researchers have clarified that apart from diet, physical inactivity and other health factors are equally responsible.
According to ICMR researchers, most people in the country are currently suffering from a health problem called dyslipidemia. In this condition, levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in the blood rise dangerously and levels of good cholesterol (HDL) begin to fall. When the level of bad cholesterol in the blood increases, a layer of fat accumulates on the walls of the blood vessels, thereby obstructing the blood flow. Such conditions multiply the risk of serious heart disease and stroke in the future.
Along with unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity is one of the main causes of high cholesterol. Sitting for long periods of time reduces the efficiency of an enzyme in the body called lipoprotein lipase, which prevents the rapid breakdown of fats or triglycerides in the blood and can accumulate in the body. On the other hand, high blood sugar levels cause changes in the secretion of insulin hormone. When the body develops insulin resistance, belly fat accumulates and blood levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides rise rapidly.
High blood pressure and thyroid problems also play an important role in raising cholesterol. Abnormal changes in blood pressure increase the tendency for fat to accumulate in the walls of blood vessels, which is one of the causes of dyslipidemia. Similarly, problems like hypothyroidism reduce the secretion of thyroid hormones in the body and lower the metabolic rate. In this situation, the liver is unable to remove excess bad cholesterol from the blood, resulting in increased cholesterol levels in the body and continued deterioration of liver function.
Lipid profile test is essential to determine the level of cholesterol in the body. According to experts, everyone after the age of twenty should have their cholesterol checked regularly. It is especially important for people with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and a family history of heart disease to exercise caution, get a health checkup and consult a doctor early.