Information provided by Carol Shriver, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES
September is National Cholesterol Education Month – a perfect time to increase your knowledge of cholesterol and how it affects your overall heart health.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with about 500,000 Americans dying from heart disease and another million having heart attacks each year. High cholesterol is a major risk factor contributing to cardiovascular disease. Now’s a great time to take steps to lower your cholesterol level and improve your heart health.
Steps to a Healthy Heart
- Know your numbers and what they mean.
- Knowing your LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, often called “bad” cholesterol, is essential to your well-being. By learning what affects your LDL cholesterol, you can help manage it.
- Know the two types of cholesterol:
- Low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol.
- Also known as “bad” or “lousy” cholesterol, LDL cholesterol makes up most of your body’s cholesterol.
- We want this level to be lower.
- High levels of LDL cholesterol cause plaque to build up in your blood vessels, which blocks or slows the flow of blood to your heart and increases your risk of heart disease and stroke.
- High-density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol.
- It’s sometimes referred to as “good” or “healthy” cholesterol.
- We want this level to be higher.
- HDL cholesterol lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke by absorbing the body’s cholesterol, transporting it to the liver and then excreting it from your body.
Information supplied by the American Heart Association.
- Modify your diet.
- Saturated and trans fats are among the top dietary causes of high cholesterol, so lowering your intake of both types of fats helps reduce your cholesterol-related health risks.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables helps lower bad cholesterol levels. Fiber-rich fruits and vegetables help prevent your digestive tract from absorbing high levels of cholesterol.
- Increase your consumption of nuts and fish high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help to raise your good cholesterol levels.
- Stay active.
- Getting enough exercise is also an important step in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Try to get at least 30 minutes of relatively vigorous exercise each day. Even a brisk walk for a half hour a day can raise your good cholesterol levels and lower your bad one. If a half hour a day is unrealistic for your schedule, try to get at least 150 minutes of solid exercise each week (21 minutes a day).
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Carrying excess weight can also cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries. Shedding a few pounds has the potential to reduce your bad cholesterol levels, while elevating your good cholesterol levels.
Everyone can benefit from knowing their cholesterol numbers and doing what they can to prevent or reduce high cholesterol levels. Making a few small changes can do a lot to protect your heart.
Helpful Cholesterol Links
To learn even more about cholesterol, visit these links from our partners: