Charleston Speaks!

By Sister Valerie L. Muhammad

*Cholesterol * We hear so much about it. Do you know your level? What exactly is it? To make a long story short, cholesterol is a fatty-like substance that is found in our bloodstream and cells. We need it because it helps to produce cell membranes and some hormones. The issue with it is that when too much of it builds up in our blood, it can lead to coronary heart disease and strokes. When our cholesterol levels are checked, the results are in two parts * LDL and HDL. To help transport cholesterol to our cells, substances called lipoproteins are used to do the job. LDL is low-density lipoprotein (the bad one) while HDL is high-density lipoprotein (the good one). LDL is the one that can slowly build up in our blood and cause us problems down the road. HDL is considered *good* because high levels of it seem to help fight against heart attacks. In upcoming issues, we*ll take a closer look at things we can do to keep a balance on our cholesterol levels.

I, personally, am proud to have a strong, black woman as our First Lady, running the country beside her strong, black man.