Controlling Your Cholesterol

Controlling your cholesterol can cut down on your risk of a heart attack and improve your overall health. By making some changes to your diet, exercising, and taking medication, you can help to prolong your life.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in the blood. Most of it is made by the liver and other tissues but some is absorbed from dietary sources. Eating foods high in fat or cholesterol can cause high cholesterol. This fat-like material can build up on the inside of the blood vessels of your heart. Cholesterol can block blood flow to your heart and cause a heart attack.

There are three kinds of blood cholesterol. HDLs, LDLs, and triglycerides. High-density-lipoprotein, or HDL, is good cholesterol. HDLs help to keep the arteries from clogging up and protects against heart disease. Low-density-lipoprotein, or LDL, is bad cholesterol. LDLs cause fat build up in your arteries and cause blockages of your arteries. LDLs cause heart disease. An LDL level under 100 mg/dL is a good level. Triglycerides are another form of fat in your blood. It is a neutral fat synthesized from carbohydrates for storage in fat cells. Levels from 150-199 md/dL are considered borderline and may require treatment, as are levels at 200 mg/dL which are considered high.

You may not know you have high blood cholesterol but you may have chest pains from the cholesterol build up in your blood vessels and arteries.

To find out if you have high blood cholesterol, consult your physician for a cholesterol test which will let you know what your levels of HDLs and LDLs are. Your total cholesterol number should be under 200.

To lower your cholesterol, there are things that you can do including diet adjustments, exercise, and medication. Cut back on foods with high fat content such as meats that are fatty, fried foods, whole milk, fatty cheeses, butter, margarine, oils, lards, and reams. Monitor your intake of high-cholesterol foods such as egg yokes and whole eggs. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Fatty snacks and desserts, such as candy, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, pastries, and pies are to be avoided. Try to get at least thirty minutes of exercise every day. For overweight patients, set a goal to lose weight by using portion control. Cut back on the amount you eat. Losing a few pounds may help lower your bad cholesterol and improve your overall health as well. Also, ask your doctor for any medications that may help lower your cholesterol.

www.fda.gov