Cholesterol & Your Health What it is and why it’s important
Your risk factors
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your blood. It helps carry fat through your blood vessels. Your body makes all the cholesterol you need, but you also get it in certain foods you eat.
Risk factors of high cholesterol you can do something about are:
Your total blood cholesterol level is made up of a variety of blood fats which include LDL’s (low-density lipoprotein) or “bad” cholesterol and HDL’s (high-density lipoprotein) or “good” cholesterol. Some LDL’s stick to your blood vessel walls as they move through your blood stream. HDL’s remove many of these. But, if the number of LDL’s is too high, the HDL’s cannot get all of them, so your blood vessels start to narrow or become blocked. When this happens you are at risk for heart disease, a heart attack or a stroke. The only way to know your cholesterol levels is to have them checked with a blood test.
• eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol • being overweight • not being physically active • smoking Other risk factors you can’t do much about are: • being over 55 years old • having a family history of high blood cholesterol In the U.S., heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women. It is important for you to know what your cholesterol levels are and what they should be. The higher your cholesterol, the greater your risk of getting heart disease. When you have risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or a heart attack, your doctor may set lower goals for your LDL and total cholesterol.
Cholesterol goals for adults without known heart disease risks are: Total Less than 200
HDL 40 or higher (for men) 50 or higher (for women)
LDL
Total
HDL
LDL
My cholesterol:
Less than 100 My goal: Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. Bringing Patients & Health Together
Atlanta, GA
800-241-4925
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Cholesterol & Your Health Controlling your cholesterol 1. C hoose foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. To do this, eat less food that comes from animals and some plants. These include:
3. L ose weight if you are overweight. Losing even a small amount of weight can help lower your cholesterol.
• milk, cheese and yogurt • eggs
4. Don’t smoke or be around smokers.
• p oultry (with the skin on)
5. T ake your medicine. If you control all the risk factors, you can still have high cholesterol. Your doctor may prescribe medicine to lower it. Even if you take medicine, it is still important to watch for and work at controlling the other risk factors.
• red meat
• o rgan meats • shellfish (such as (such as kidney or liver) shrimp or crab) • b utter/lard (or foods made in or with them)
• coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter
Follow these tips for healthier eating: • Choose low-fat and nonfat dairy products. • H ave less than 6 total ounces of meat, fish and poultry a day. Choose skinless poultry or fish, and limit the amount of red meat in your diet. • C hoose lean red meat instead of marbled, fatty meat. Trim or drain fat from meats when cooking. • Eat more whole grains and vegetables which are low in fat and cholesterol. 2. B e more active. Regular exercise (such as walking) is very good for you. Even mild activities like house work and gardening can help control your cholesterol.
Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. Bringing Patients & Health Together ®
Atlanta, GA
800-241-4925
Copyright © 2000-2014 Pritchett & Hull Associates, Inc. DO NOT DUPLICATE.