Aim at a Healthy Weight

 Assessing Your Risk
Assessment of overweight involves using three key measures:

1. body mass index (BMI)

2. waist circumference, and

3. risk factors for diseases and conditions associated with obesity.

The BMI is a measure of your weight relative to your height and waist circumference measures abdominal fat. Combining these with information about your additional risk factors yields your risk for developing obesity-associated diseases.

What is Your Risk?
1. Body Mass Index (BMI): BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits.

The limits are:
It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.
Use the BMIcalculator calculator or tablescharts to estimate your total body fat. The BMI score means the following:

BMI
Underweight Below 18.5
Normal 18.5 – 24.9
Overweight25.0 – 29.9
Obesity 30.0 and Above

2. Waist Circumference

Determine your waist circumference by placing a measuring tape snugly around your waist. It is a good indicator of your abdominal fat which is another predictor of your risk for developing risk factors for heart disease and other diseases. This risk increases with a waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women

3. Other Risk Factors

Besides being overweight or obese, there are additional risk factors to consider.
RISK FACTORS
high blood pressure (hypertension)
high LDL-cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol)
low HDL-cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)
high triglycerides
high blood glucose (sugar)
family history of premature heart disease
physical inactivity
cigarette smoking

4. Assessment
For people who are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more risk factors, the guidelines recommend weight loss. Even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing diseases associated with obesity. Patients who are overweight, do not have a high waist measurement, and have less than 2 risk factors may need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight.
Talk to your doctor to see if you are at an increased risk and if you should lose weight. Your doctor will evaluate your BMI, waist measurement, and others risk factors for heart disease. People who are overweight or obese have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, and even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing those diseases

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Facts about Lipitor(anti cholesterol drugs )

Lipitor ( Atrovostatin ) is from a class of pharmaceutical agents to lower cholesterol levels in people with or at risk of cardiovascular diseases. They lower cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, which is the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. Inhibition of this enzyme in the liver stimulates LDL receptors, resulting in an increased clearance of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from the bloodstream and a decrease in blood cholesterol levels. The first results can be seen after one week of use and the effect is maximal after four to six weeks.

Cholesterol metabolism:

Most circulating cholesterol is manufactured internally through the HMG-CoA reductase pathway. Cholesterol, both from dietary intake and secreted into the duodenum as bile from the liver, is typically absorbed at a rate of 50% by the small intestines.

Cholesterol is not water-soluble, and is therefore carried in the blood in the form of lipoproteins, the type being determined by the apoprotein, a protein coating that acts as an emulsifier. The relative balance between these lipoproteins is determined by various factors, including genetics, diet, and insulin resistance. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) carry cholesterol toward tissues, and elevated levels of these lipoproteins are associated with atheroma formation (fat-containing deposits in the arterial wall) and cardiovascular disease. High density lipoprotein, in contrast, carries cholesterol back to the liver and is associated with protection against cardiovascular disease.

Lipitor( Statins) act by competitively inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, the first committed enzyme of the HMG-CoA reductase pathway. By reducing intracellular cholesterol levels, they cause liver cells to make more LDL receptors, leading to increased clearance of low-density lipoprotein from the bloodstream. Lipitor is the most potent cholesterol-lowering agents available, lower LDL cholesterol (so-called “bad cholesterol”) by 3050%. However, they have less effect in raising HDL-cholesterol (“good cholesterol”). Lipitor is recommended for patients who do not meet their lipid-lowering goals through diet and lifestyle approaches.

Indications of Lipitor:

It plays an important role in both the primary and secondary prevention of coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke and peripheral artery disease.

Adverse effects of Lipitor:

Lipitor can cause a condition that results in the breakdown of skeletal muscle tissue. This condition can lead to kidney failure. This medication can cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Do not use if you are pregnant if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, or if you have liver disease.
Before taking Lipitor, tell your doctor if you have diabetes, under active thyroid, kidney disease, a muscle disorder, or a blood disorder.Avoid eating foods that are high in fat or cholesterol. Lipitor will not be as effective in lowering your cholesterol if you do not follow a cholesterol-lowering diet plan.Avoid drinking alcohol while taking Lipitor. Alcohol can raise triglyceride levels, and may also damage your liver while you are taking Lipitor.

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