What is cholesterol?
Why is cholesterol important?
What tests are used to measure cholesterol?
LDL Cholesterol | HDL Cholesterol | Total Cholesterol | Triglycerides | |
Optimal <100mg/dl | >60mg/dL F >55mg/dL M | Desirable <200mg/dl | Normal <150mg/dl | |
Near Optimal | 100-129mg/dL | |||
Borderline High | 130-159mg/dL | 200-239mg/dL | 150-199mg/dL | |
High | 160-189mg/dL | <40mg/dl* | >240mg/dL | 200-499mg/dL |
Very High | >190mg/dL | >500mg/dL |
What other items are used to measure risk for heart disease?
- cigarette smoking
- obesity
- high blood glucose
- low HDL cholesterol
- age (men > 45 years old; women > 55 years old)
- high blood pressure or on antihypertensive medications
- diabetes mellitus
- family history of early heart disease
- other forms of vessel narrowing diseases.
- large calcium intake from diet or medication
- high blood phosphorus levels
- high parathyroid hormone levels
- high homocysteine levels
- whole body inflammation.
What can I do to decrease my risk for heart disease?
Lifestyle Changes:
- Increase physical activity to 30 minutes every day at a moderate level. This will help:
- raise HDL cholesterol
- lower LDL cholesterol in some people
- lower blood pressure
- improve diabetic control
- improve heart function.
- Obtain and maintain a healthy weight
- Talk to your doctor and dietitian
- Do not smoke.
- Do not drink alcohol excessively. (Limit alcohol to 1 drink a day with physician approval.)
Diet changes:
Treatment of Other Risk Factors:
- Control hypertension and diabetes.
- Treatment for these diseases can include medications, diet changes and increased physical activity.
- Your doctor and dietitian can help you with lifestyle changes to best treat these diseases.
What about medications to help lower my risk for heart disease?
Who can I talk to about specific questions I have to reduce my risk for heart disease?
- Your doctor can talk to you about how best to treat your risk for heart disease.
- A pharmacist can answer questions you might have about any medications the doctor has prescribed for you.
Tips to Reduce Fat and Cholesterol in Your Diet
- Choose lean meats, poultry and fish. The loin and round cuts of meat tend to be leaner than rib cuts and organ meats.
- Trim all visible fat from meat and remove skin from poultry.
- Steam, broil, roast or bake meat, poultry and fish. Place the food on a rack to allow the fat to drain away from the food. Do not fry foods.
- Choose fresh fruits and vegetables. Steam, boil, bake or microwave vegetables. Do not fry foods.
- Use nonstick pans or vegetable sprays for sautéing.
- Use herbs and spices to season foods instead of sauces, butter or margarine.
- Try wine, lemon juice, or flavored vinegar to give flavor with limited fat and calories.
- Use jelly, jam, honey or syrup instead of butter or margarine on toast, waffles, pancakes or muffins.
- Use fat free or reduced fat versions of high-fat foods. For example, use fat-free sour cream in place of regular sour cream or use 1% or skim milk in allowed amounts.
- Limit hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated fats. These can be found in some margarines, peanut butters, packaged baked goods and snacks, and fried foods. Try baked crackers instead of fried crackers. Buy grilled or baked items when eating out.
- Use two grams of plant stanols or sterols per day. These are sold as specially formulated margarine-like spreads. Your dietitian can assist you with finding these products.
- Limit products made with coconut, palm kernel, palm oil, lard, shortening, bacon fat and cocoa butter.
- Use canola or olive oils instead of shortening, butter or other oils when cooking. These monounsaturated fats will not lower your HDL level.
- Try sherbet or ice milk instead of ice cream.
- Read food labels on the foods you buy. Do not be misled by foods that are cholesterol free but contain large amounts of saturated fat that your body will turn into cholesterol.
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