Cholesterol: Why we have it and what to do about it
Contents:
What You Need to Know.
How do you measure cholesterol levels? The test gives information about your Total cholesterol - a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in your blood. Triglycerides - another form of fat in your blood that can raise your risk for heart disease, especially in women What do my cholesterol numbers mean? Here are the healthy levels of cholesterol, based on your age and gender: Anyone age 19 or younger: How often should I get a cholesterol test? The general recommendations are: For people who are age 19 or younger: The first test should be between ages 9 to 11 Children should have the test again every 5 years Some children may have this test starting at age 2 if there is a family history of high blood cholesterol, heart attack, or stroke For people who are age 20 or older: Younger adults should have the test every 5 years Men ages 45 to 65 and women ages 55 to 65 should have it every 1 to 2 years What affects my cholesterol levels?
These are some things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels: Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level rise. Saturated fat is the main problem, but cholesterol in foods also matters.
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Reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level. Foods that have high levels of saturated fats include some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, and deep-fried and processed foods. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease.
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It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL bad cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It also raises your HDL good cholesterol level. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days. Cigarette smoking lowers your HDL good cholesterol. HDL helps to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries. So a lower HDL can contribute to a higher level of bad cholesterol.
Things outside of your control that can also affect cholesterol levels include: As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL bad cholesterol levels tend to rise. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.
In the past, people have aimed to reduce cholesterol to a target level, for instance, below milligrams per decilitre; this is no longer the case. There is no evidence from randomized, controlled clinical trials to support treatment to a specific target; however, some physicians may still use targets to help guide therapy. Cholesterol levels play a major part in an individual's risk of having a heart attack within the next 10 years.
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Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
All references are available in the References tab. The Harvard Medical School guide to lowering your cholesterol 1st ed. High blood cholesterol levels. How to get your cholesterol tested.
Circulation, 25 suppl 2 , S1-S Statins and diabetes risk: How real is it and what are the mechanisms? Current opinion in lipidology, 26 3 , Third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program NCEP expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults , March Preventive Services Task Force.
Screening for lipid disorders in children: Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Pediatrics, 1 , ee MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
Cholesterol
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Current opinion in lipidology, 26 3 , Why is LDL bad? Be snack savvy Many snacks , especially the ones we buy are high in saturated fats. We explain just how much cholesterol you should have each day and where fats fit in. Please note that we cannot answer personal medical queries. Your overall health Your overall health and other health problems can have an effect, for example: There are several types of cholesterol medicines available, including statins.
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What is high cholesterol? - HEART UK
Sign in Log in with your Medical News Today account to create or edit your custom homepage, catch-up on your opinions notifications and set your newsletter preferences. Register for a free account Sign up for a free Medical News Today account to customize your medical and health news experiences. Register take the tour. Reviewed by Daniel Murrell, MD. Fast facts on cholesterol: Cholesterol is an essential substance that is produced by the body but is also ingested from animal-derived foods. The greatest risk factors for high cholesterol are modifiable lifestyle choices - diet and exercise.
Having high cholesterol does not usually produce any symptoms. If lifestyle changes are unsuccessful or cholesterol levels are very high, lipid-lowering drugs such as statins may be prescribed. High cholesterol has a number of causes, including dietary choices. Oily fish like salmon has been shown to actively decrease cholesterol.
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