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What is cholesterol and how can Januvia medication help?

Cholesterol is a smooth, fat-like substance that is present in the cells of our body. The body needs cholesterol to make vitamins D, hormones, and materials that help digest food. The body produces all the cholesterol required. If there is too much cholesterol in the blood, it can combine with other substances to form plaque which attaches to the walls of the arteries. This increase in plaque is known as atherosclerosis which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Proteins carry cholesterol in your blood. When these two combine, they are called lipoproteins.

What are the main types of cholesterol?

There are two types of cholesterol in the body. They are:

• High-density lipoprotein

High-density lipoprotein is considered good cholesterol because they carry the cholesterol back to the liver away from the cells where it is passed out of the body as waste material. High levels of HDL are considered to better for the human body.

• Low-density lipoprotein

Low-density lipoprotein is considered bad cholesterol because they carry cholesterol to the cells where the excess cholesterol builds up in the walls of the arteries causing coronary artery disease.  

What are the causes of high cholesterol?

The primary cause of high cholesterol is an unhealthy lifestyle which can include:

• Lack of physical activity

Little or no exercise can lower your HDL cholesterol which can create many health problems.

• Unhealthy eating habits

Eating fewer vegetables and fruits while eating lots of bad fats can raise your LDL cholesterol. It is important to eat a balanced diet and avoid saturated fat and trans fat which is found in chocolates, meats, baked goods, dairy products, and processed and deep-fried foods.

• Smoking

Smoking increases LDL cholesterol, especially in women.

What are the symptoms of cholesterol?

There are no symptoms of high cholesterol. Unless screened routinely with the help of a blood test high cholesterol levels will go unchecked and will present a silent threat of stroke or heart attack.

What are the causes of high cholesterol?

Various conditions can cause high cholesterol such as:

• Obesity
• Polycystic ovary syndrome
• Diabetes
• Familial hypercholesterolemia which is an inherited condition where genes are the highest contributor to high cholesterol levels
• Underactive thyroid gland
• Pregnancy and other conditions which increase female hormones levels
• Medicines that decrease HDL cholesterol and increase LDL cholesterol like anabolic steroids, progestins, and corticosteroids

Januvia Medication - What is Januvia?

Januvia medication is a prescription pill that is given once-daily to type 2 diabetes patients. Januvia belongs to a class of medicines known as DPP-4 inhibitors. Januvia helps to lower the blood sugar together with a balanced diet and proper exercise. Januvia medication works by enhancing the body's ability to reduce blood sugar.

What is Januvia used for?

Januvia is used with other medications and proper exercise and diet program to control high blood sugar. It is mainly prescribed for people with type 2 diabetes. Controlling high blood sugar helps in preventing blindness, loss of limbs, nerve problems, kidney damage, and sexual function problems. Keeping a check on your diabetes can also reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack.

Januvia medication is a diabetes drug that increases the levels of natural substances known as incretins. Incretins control blood sugar by boosting insulin release, particularly after a meal. They also reduce the volume of sugar your liver produces.

Januvia medication is readily available at Canada Pharmacy at reasonable prices.

What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease which affects the way your body metabolizes glucose present in your blood. This is the most common type of diabetes with millions of people around the world affected by it. The pancreas in your body produces a hormone called insulin which turns the glucose from the food that you eat into energy.

People who have type 2 diabetes make insulin, but their cells do not handle them as they should. This is called insulin resistance. In the beginning, the pancreas produces more insulin to get the glucose into the cells buy after a while it can’t keep up which results in sugar build-up. 

Type 2 diabetes can be a result of the following circumstances:

• Weight – being obese or overweight can result in insulin resistance, especially if you carry extra pounds around your waist.
• Too much glucose produced by the liver – the liver produces glucose when your sugar level drops but after you eat it slows down the insulin production and stores it for later use. But in some people, it does not slow down producing excess sugar.
• Genes – research shows that different fragments of DNA affect how your body produces insulin.
• Metabolic syndrome - people who have insulin resistance have many conditions such as high blood pressure, triglycerides, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and extra fat around the waist.
• Broken beta cells – irregular blood sugar level can be a result of the wrong amount of insulin sent into the blood by the insulin-producing cells.
• Communication between cells – diabetes can also be a chain reaction to bad communication between cells because sometimes cells send the wrong signals.

What are the type 2 diabetes symptoms?

Type 2 diabetes can cause some severe health complications that is why it is imperative to be aware of the following symptoms:

• Dry mouth
• Blurred vision
• Increased thirst
• Frequent urination
• Headaches
• Unexplained weight loss
• Increased hunger particularly after eating
• Loss of consciousness
• Fatigue

If you have any of the type 2 diabetes symptoms contact your health care provider to get tested for diabetes immediately so that you can begin a treatment plan to avoid serious diabetes complications. In many instances type 2 diabetes is not diagnosed until some health complication has occurred due to slow development of the above symptoms. In fact, studies show that one out of every four people is not aware that he has diabetes.

Some other symptoms of type 2 diabetes are:

• Frequent yeast infection
• Velvety dark skin changes of armpit, groin, and the neck called acanthosis nigricans
• Slow healing cuts or sores
• Unexplained weight loss or gain
• Itching of shin especially around the groin and vaginal area
• Decreased vision
• Numbness and tingling of feet and hands
• Erectile dysfunction

Ask your doctor about ‘what is Januvia?’, ‘what is Januvia used for?’ and ‘what are Januvia’s side effects?’ before starting this treatment.

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