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Playing
by the Numbers to Lower Your Cholesterol
Learn
More:
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When someone says you are one in a million, it is often a compliment.
However, if you are one in the million who have heart attacks each
year, the news is not so good.
Having high blood cholesterol can increase your risk of developing
heart and vascular disease, or for having a heart attack. In fact,
the higher your blood cholesterol level the greater your chance of
cardiovascular disease and a stroke. When high cholesterol is combined
with other risk factors, such as diabetes or high blood pressure,
your risk for cardiovascular problems increases even more.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in your blood. When there is too
much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of the arteries
that supply blood to the body. As the arteries narrow, blood flow
to the heart is slowed or blocked.
“If there is not enough oxygen supplied to the heart angina,
a heart attack, or even death can result,” Roger Klein, M.D.,
Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital cardiologist, said.
“High cholesterol does not produce symptoms. That is why it
is important to have your cholesterol level checked,” Dr. Klein
advised. “Everyone age 20 and older should have a fasting (not
eating or drinking for 12-14 hours) lipoprotein profile to determine
exact cholesterol levels, at least once every five years.”
A “lipoprotein profile” gives information about:
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Total cholesterol
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Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol”
- the primary source of cholesterol buildup
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High-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good cholesterol”
- which helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries
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Triglycerides
- another form of fat in the blood
Evaluating
Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
“Generally, the higher your LDL level and the more risk factors
you have for cardiovascular disease, the greater your chances are
you will develop cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Klein said. In
addition to a high LDL level, the risk factors for cardiovascular
disease include:
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Smoking
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High
blood pressure
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Low HDL cholesterol
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Family history of early cardiovascular disease
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Age - 45 or older for men; 55 or older for women
Lowering
LDL Cholesterol
You
can lower cholesterol by:
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Eating fewer high fat foods (particularly those high in saturated
fats)
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Reducing
the amount of cholesterol in your diet
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Losing weight, if you are overweight
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Increasing the amount of soluble fiber in your diet (beans, oat
bran, melons, and dried fruits)
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Exercising regularly
If medications
are needed to lower your cholesterol, Dr. Klein stresses that it is
still important to eat a healthy diet, control weight, and exercise
to keep in proper condition. “These activities will reduce the
amount of medicine you need and lower your overall risk of cardiovascular
disease,” he stated.
For more information about lowering your cholesterol, speak to your
physician.
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