CD-ROM Today 1996 January/CD-ROM Today 1996 January.iso/dp/0174/0174201.tid

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$Title{A glossary of important cholesterol terms}

     When reading about cholesterol and nutrition, you may run across some
words that are important to understand if you are trying to fully grasp the
meaning of the articles you are studying.  This glossary may be used to help
clarify the meaning and use of important words used in material on the subject
of cholesterol.
     ATHEROSCLEROSIS:  Essentially a type of hardening of the arteries; it's a
condition in which the walls of the arteries become less flexible because of
the buildup of cholesterol, fat and other blood components within them.
Arteries to the heart may narrow due to atherosclerosis and become incapable
of carrying enough oxygen-rich blood to the muscles of the heart.
     CARBOHYDRATE:  One of the three types of nutrients (along with fat and
protein) that provide energy to the body.  There are four calories in each
gram of carbohydrate, an essential ingredient for normal body function.  There
are two basic types of carbohydrates:  "simple" carbohydrates (sugars), and
"complex" carbohydrate (starches and fiber).
     Complex carbohydrate:  Starch and fiber, usually found in plants or
vegetables.  When complex carbohydrates are substituted for saturated fats in
the diet, the saturated fat reduction lowers blood cholesterol.  High amounts
of starch may be found in breads, pasta, rice, cereals, dried beans and peas,
corn and lima beans.
     Fiber:  The body is unable to digest or absorb this type of complex
carbohydrate, so high-fiber foods are low in calories.  Large amounts of fiber
are found in whole-grain cereals, oat and barley brans, some fruits such as
apples and oranges, as well as dried beans.
     CHOLESTEROL:  A soft, waxy substance that is important for normal body
function and is produced in sufficient quantity by the body.  It is involved
in the production of certain hormones, bile acid and Vitamin D.  It may be
found in tissues in all parts of the body, including the nervous system,
muscle, skin, heart, intestines and liver.
     Blood Cholesterol:  May be from both cholesterol absorbed from food and
cholesterol produced in the liver, it is distributed to tissues throughout the
body by the blood.  A high level of blood cholesterol precedes the development
of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
     Dietary Cholesterol:  The amounts of cholesterol contained in the foods
you consume.  It is present only in foods derived from animals, and is not
contained in foods that are of plant origin.
     CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE:  A disease of the arteries of the heart.  The
arteries become narrower due to the effects of arteriosclerosis, and fail to
provide sufficient amounts of oxygen and nutrient-carrying blood to the
tissues (muscles) of the heart, leading to chest pain, heart attack and death.
     FAT:  One of the three types of nutrients, fat provides nine calories per
gram, more than twice the amount contained in an equal quantity of either
carbohydrates or proteins.  Fats help in the absorption of certain vitamins
and, in small amounts, are necessary for normal body function.
     Total Fat:  The total of all types of fats (saturated, monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated) contained in food.  In general, a mixture of all three is
found in most foods.
     Saturated Fat:  This type of fat is found in the largest amounts in foods
derived from animals, including meat, poultry, and dairy products made from
milk, such as cream, cheese, ice cream and butter.  However, some vegetable
oils, including coconut, palm kernel and other palm oils, also contain large
amounts of saturated fats.  Blood cholesterol increases more from saturated
fats than any other food element in the diet.
     Unsaturated Fat:  This type of fat remains in a liquid state at
refrigerator temperatures.  Both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are
in this classification.
     Monounsaturated Fat:  This is a type of fat that is slightly unsaturated
and is contained in foods made from plants, including olive oil and canola
(rapeseed oil).  When these types of fats are substituted for saturated fats
in the diet, blood cholesterol is reduced.
     Polyunsaturated Fat:  Considered highly unsaturated, this type of fat is
found in oils made from safflower, sunflower, corn and soybean.  It also acts
to reduce the amount of blood cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats
in the diet.
     GRAM:  A unit of weight.  One ounce equals about 28 grams (g).  Most
diets measure the various contents of food products using this unit of weight.
     HYDROGENATION:  A chemical process that changes liquid vegetable oils
that are made of unsaturated fats, into a solid form that contains saturated
fats.  While this process makes it possible to keep these products on
supermarket shelves for longer periods of time, it also increases the content
of undesirable saturated fats.
     LIPIDS:  These are fatty substances that are present in the blood and
body issues, and includes cholesterol and triglycerides.
     LIPOPROTEINS:  Used to describe the protein-coated "packages" or
particles that carry fats (such as cholesterol) through the blood.
Lipoproteins are classified according to their density.
     High Density Lipoproteins (HDL):  This form of lipoprotein contains a
small amount of cholesterol and carries cholesterol away from the body cells
and tissues to the liver for excretion from the body.  Thus, the higher the
level of HDL the better, and so this substance is known as the "good"
cholesterol.
     Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL):  These are the lipoproteins in the blood
that carry the largest amounts of cholesterol.  Because LDL is responsible for
depositing cholesterol in the walls of arteries, high levels are associated
with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.  This is the substance
referred to as "bad" cholesterol.
     MILLIGRAM:  A unit of weight equal to one-thousandth of a gram.  One
ounce equals 28,350 milligrams (mg).
     MILLIGRAMS/DECILITER (mg/dl):  This unit is used to express the
concentration of a given weight of a substance dissolved in a quantity of
liquid.  The amount of cholesterol in the blood is measured in this manner,
indicating the weight of cholesterol (mg) in a deciliter of blood.  A
deciliter is about one-tenth of a quart.
     PROTEIN:  One of the three types of nutrients.  One gram or protein
supplies four calories, less than half the amount contained in one gram of
fat.  Protein is an essential building block of many parts of the body,
including muscle, bone, skin and blood.
     RISK FACTOR:  A habit, trait or condition in a person that is associated
with an increased chance of developing a particular disease.  These factors
are established by studying the results of many clinical investigations that
develop the statistics needed to discover the relationships.
     TRIGLYCERIDES:  A type of lipid (fat-like substance) carried in the
bloodstream to the tissues.  Most of the body's fat tissue is in this form,
stored for use as energy.  Triglycerides are obtained from the fat in the
diet.
     VASCULAR DISEASE:  A disease or ailment of the blood vessels, frequently
caused by atherosclerosis.  Vascular disease may be seen in arteries to the
brain, heart and in the leg.