The Word cholesterol immediately rings a bell linking it to heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol or lipid profile consists of four major components, 1.Total Cholesterol, 2.Triglyceride, 3.Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and 4.High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C).
Other components of lipid profile like, Very Low -density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), and Non-High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (Non-HDL-C) are derived from the above four major components.
Having high cholesterol in the younger age group with unhealthy food habits coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and obesity increases the risk of heart disease significantly higher at a younger age. To reduce the high cholesterol level, an individual has to engage in regular moderate aerobic exercise, maintain a healthy body mass index, and control the intake of high saturated fatty acid in the diet.
The mechanism of how exercise reduces the cholesterol level is still not precisely understood. The optimal physical activity or the exercise intensity and duration we should achieve to have a significant reduction in lipid levels is still not well established.
Nevertheless, the introduction of statin ( Lipid-lowering drug ) has now been given in a very early part of age as a replacement for exercise, or general assumption; we may not be able to achieve the recommended exercise capacity. Many trials have pointed out Aerobic exercise has a significant effect on the triglyceride level. Still, the same cannot be said for other lipid components, Total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL level. However, statin drugs have a clear advantage of reducing LDL levels amount to the level of 29-53%. But this comes with the expense of adverse effects of statin drugs. It includes muscle pain and damage, elevated liver enzymes due to inflammatory damage to liver cells, increase your chance of getting diabetes and memory loss.
EECP can change this perception as it can provide a passive exercise and stimulate the effect of intense aerobic exercise. This effect has already shown to amplify your exercise effect and have a profound favorable impact on your lipid profile. Studies have shown EECP significantly reduces cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL around 20-30% and improves good HDL cholesterol by around 15%.