Cholesterol and You!

It is estimated that 105 million American adults have a total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL and higher. Of these 105 million, 42 million American adults have levels of 240 mg/dL or higher. Therefore, it is very important that we understand what high cholesterol can do to our bodies and what we can do to keep it lower.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is normally found in the body. We need cholesterol to live as it is used to form our cells. The liver makes enough cholesterol each day to keep our cells going and the rest comes from the foods we eat. Cholesterol is a natural part of our body but if we have too much it can lead to problems such as heart disease and stroke. The two types of cholesterol most important to us are low-density lipoprotein or LDL and high-density lipoprotein or HDL. LDL is our "bad" cholesterol and we want to keep this number low. HDL is our "good" cholesterol and we want this number to be high.

What can lead to high cholesterol?

Risk factors for high cholesterol: Contributing factors:
*High blood pressure or on medication *Coronary heart disease (CHD)
to treat high blood pressure *Other vascular disease
*Cigarette smoking *Diabetes Mellitus
*High LDL cholesterol
*Low HDL cholesterol
*Men 45 years of age or older
*Women 55 years of age or older
*Family history

Father or brother with coronary heart disease before age 55
Mother or sister with coronary heart disease before age 65

What do I want my numbers to be?

According to the American Heart Association, and depending on your risk factors and/or contributing factors, the LDL level your doctor will want you to be at may vary. If you DO have CHD, other vascular disease, or diabetes, the AHA recommends your LDL level to be less than 100 mg/dL. If you DO NOT have CHD, other vascular disease, or diabetes and have two or more risk factors as listed above, the AHA recommends your LDL level to be less than 130 mg/dL. If you DO NOT have CHD, other vascular disease, or diabetes and have one or no risk factors as listed above, the AHA recommends your LDL level to be less than 160 mg/dL.

The HDL level the AHA recommends us to be at is greater than 40 mg/dL. And if the HDL level is greater than 60 mg/dL, that is shown to actually be protective against heart disease and you can take away one risk factor.

What can I do to keep my cholesterol at good levels?

The best way to keep our LDL or “bad” cholesterol at a lower level is to get regular exercise and maintain a healthy weight. If your numbers remain high, your doctor may prescribe medication to help lower your cholesterol while continuing to exercise and eat right. Some ways to increase our HDL or “good” cholesterol is to not smoke or stop smoking if you currently do, maintain a healthy weight and get regular exercise.

References:

1.ATPIII guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program.
2. American Heart Association home page. URL: www.americanheartassociation.com. Available from Internet. Accessed 2003 Sep 17.

3.Talbert RL. Hyperlipidemia. In Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach. 5th ed. DiPiro JT, Talbert RL, Yee GC, et al., eds. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002: 395-417