Sample Translation: Medical Text

English Translation by Amani Love:

Cholesterol and Arteriosclerosis
There are many things that cause poor blood or vascular health, such as over-eating,
an unbalanced diet, food additives, stress, smoking, and a lack of exercise. All of these
things put a burden on the vascular system by increasing the amount of unneeded
substances in the blood stream. The excessive consumption of cholesterol is a leading
cause of the progression of arteriosclerosis (clogged arteries).
Arteries are composed of three layers; the tunica interna or innermost layer, tunica
media or central layer, and the tunica adventitia or the outer most layer. While these three
layers align with no breaks between them in healthy arteries, when the endothelial cells
(which are meant to protect the tunica interna) are damaged lesions can emerge. From
here some blood components, particularly the fatty portions, like cholesterol, begin to
penetrate into the veins.
Microphages, a type of white blood cell, are responsible for consuming the
invading foreign substances. As long as there are foreign substances, the microphages
will continue consuming them until the microphages own cell membrane bursts and
scatters those foreign substances about the vein.
When this happens other macrophages come and begin consuming the scattered
materials. While repeating this process the lesion in the tunica interna (the inner most
layer of the vein) gradually grows worse. Next blood platelets gather in an effort to repair
the vascular wall, this can lead to a blood clot.
Consequently, this accumulation causes the inner most layer of the vein to swell up,
the blood pathways become narrow, and the artery can become easily clogged. When
blood no longer flows freely but becomes thick, clogging of the arteries becomes
inevitable.
Arteriosclerosis happens in this way due to cholesterol. In other words, when
cholesterol levels are too high the clogging of arteries and the progression of the disease
becomes likely.
Many people know that there is both good and bad cholesterol. The cholesterol
found in blood binds with proteins. This cholesterol is divided into two types of
lipoproteins Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL).
LDL carries cholesterol to every cell while HDL collects excess cholesterol from
those cells. When there is an excess of cholesterol the amount of LDL increases and
becomes a cause of arteriosclerosis. This is why LDL and HDL are commonly known as
bad cholesterol and good cholesterol respectively.

Balanced Eating habits are an essential part of maintaining a normal balance of

these two types of cholesterol, LDL and HDL. Good blood and vascular health can be
maintained by correcting the excess consumption of cholesterol and consuming foods
that increase the amount of HDL in the body.
Original Japanese text: