For many years, high cholesterol was considered one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease. But more and more often a different sound is heard:is elevated cholesterol really as bad as is thought?
There is still little clarity about cholesterol. Many experts look at it the 'old' way:the lower your cholesterol, the better.
Read also: '8 tips to lower your cholesterol'
Then you have the vision of Daan de Wit, which is also supported by many scientists:cholesterol helps with many problems, tackle those problems. There is the golden mean, which is followed by, among others, nutrition and health expert Carlo Kool.
Kool believes that high LDL cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but adds that there are more factors involved.
“Suppose you always keep to the speed limit, you pay close attention, follow all traffic rules and you never use your phone while driving. Then the chance of an accident is small, right? Now imagine that you are always speeding, you will agree with me that you increase the chance of an accident. But that's never just about speeding. It becomes dangerous if you drive fast while it is busy or while also texting. So it is with cholesterol.”
“If you only have a high cholesterol level, then medication is not always necessary. Living a healthy lifestyle can also lower your cholesterol. But suppose you also smoke and are overweight, then the risk of cardiovascular disease is much greater.”
In the November issue of Santé you will find an extensive dossier on cholesterol with many new insights.
This article from Santé was also discussed in Koffietijd.
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