How much cholesterol is too much?

High cholesterol is one of the risk factors for atherosclerosis along with smoking, overweight and having high blood pressure. High cholesterol has a definition that differs depending on your exact age.

High cholesterol is defined as a total cholesterol level higher than 5.2 mmol/L which is 200 mg/dL in American units. As you can see, even the doctors can’t agree on how to express the numbers.

There are two types of cholesterol in your blood – the good and bad. High cholesterol is often called as a silent disease because there are frequently no visible symptoms – until something serious happens.

If high cholesterol is left untreated it can lead to serious complications, sometimes even death. That makes it very important to have your colestrol checked – properly – by your doctor. It won’t go away on its own. Before you think about taking medication you may want to consider lifestyle changes – they can be easy to make and can have dramatic results.

LDL is called the bad cholestrol and it has a higher fat-to-protein ratio than HDL – which is usually called the good cholesterol. Cholesterol from LDL is the main source of buildup and blockage in your arteries. So the more LDL cholesterol your blood contains the greater your risk of heart disease.

If you manage to lower your cholesterol levels it can slow, stop, or even reverse the buildup of plaque. It can also reduce your risk of a heart attack. For starters, learn all you can about high cholesterol foods.

As with anything medical, you should consult your physician for his advice before you consider making any changes, or taking any medications. General texts like this are not intended as a substitute for competent, professional medical advice.

EA & Wii Active: The Up and Coming Software Giant

The titans of the software development industry are about to engage in a competitive battle with the makers behind Nintendo’s Wii Fit technology. Last May 19, 2009, a new software called the Wii Active infiltrated the market. This will be placed directly to compete with Nintendo’s Wii Fit. EA’s Wii Active Life aims to target women who want to participate in a variety of exercise games without having to leave their own home. Several people think this new product will upstage Wii Fit for a number of reasons:

1. The asking price will be $30 less than Wii Fit’s current asking price of $90.

2. There are no balance boards included in the exercise program. Sometimes, these things can pose as a hindrance for the person doing the entire workout routine simply because they worry half the time about not falling from the small platform.

3. Instead of the balance boards, power bands and nunchuk pockets are the two main accessories for the entire program.

4. There are more than 20 exercises and motivational challenges to start with.

5. Trainers in the program were patterned after some of the biggest star’s trainers to make the entire regimen more believable.

Many of its expert critiques believe that if EA can figure out a way to accurately judge Body Fat in percentage form, Wii Fit could have a real contender and competition on its hands. Right now, it looks like the first model still needs a number of adjustments. Nonetheless, it has great potential to soar ahead of the Wii Fit.

In fact, if you want to have real fun and keep fit all at the same time, then you really need to take part in the Wii Active Life Outdoor Challenge!