BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuCholesterol and lifestyleHyperlipidemia - cholesterol and lifestyle; CAD - cholesterol and lifestyle; Coronary artery disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Heart disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Prevention - cholesterol and lifestyle; Cardiovascular disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Peripheral artery disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Stroke - cholesterol and lifestyle; Atherosclerosis - cholesterol and lifestyleYour body needs cholesterol to work well. But cholesterol levels that are too high can harm you.In the US, blood cholesterol is most often measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Extra cholesterol in your blood builds up inside the walls of your blood vessels. This buildup is called plaque, or atherosclerosis. Plaque reduces or stops blood flow. This can cause a: Heart attack Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Stroke StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Serious heart or blood vessel disease Your Cholesterol NumbersAll men should have their blood cholesterol levels tested every 5 years, starting at age 35 years. All women should do the same, starting at age 45 years. Many adults should have their blood cholesterol levels tested at a younger age, possibly as early as age 20 years, if they have risk factors for heart disease. Children with risk factors for heart disease should also have their blood cholesterol levels checked. Some expert groups recommend cholesterol testing for all children ages 9 to 11 and again between ages 17 and 21. Have your cholesterol checked more often (probably every year) if you have:Diabetes DiabetesDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart disease Heart diseaseCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. CHD is also called coronary artery disea...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood flow problems to your feet or legs A history of stroke A blood cholesterol test measures the level of total cholesterol. This includes HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersYour LDL level is what health care providers watch most closely. You want it to be low. If it gets too high, you will need to treat it.Treatment includes:Eating a healthy diet Losing weight (if you are overweight) ExercisingExercisingYou do not need a pricey gym membership or fancy equipment to get regular exercise. With a little creativity, you can find many ways to exercise for...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You may also need medicine to lower your cholesterol.Medicine to lower your cholesterolYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. But extra cholesterol in your blood causes deposits to build up on the inside walls of your blood vess...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You want your HDL cholesterol to be high. Exercise can help raise it, but only a small amount.Eating RightIt is important to eat right, keep a healthy weight, and exercise, even if:You do not have heart disease or diabetes. Your cholesterol levels are in the normal range. These healthy habits may help prevent future heart attacks and other health problems.Eat foods that are low in fat. These include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Using low-fat toppings, sauces, and dressings will help.Look at food labels. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat. Eating too much of this type of fat can lead to heart disease.Choose lean protein foods, such as soy, fish, skinless chicken, very lean meat, and fat-free or 1% dairy products. Look for the words "hydrogenated", "partially hydrogenated", and "trans fats" on food labels. Do not eat foods with these words in the ingredients lists. Limit how much fried food you eat. Limit how many prepared baked goods (for example, donuts, cookies, and crackers) you eat. They may contain a lot of fats that are not healthy. Eat fewer egg yolks, hard cheeses, whole milk, cream, and ice cream. Eat less fatty meat and smaller portions of meat, in general. Use healthy ways to cook fish, chicken, and lean meats, such as broiling, grilling, poaching, and baking. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Good fibers to eat are oats, bran, split peas and lentils, beans (kidney, black, and navy beans), some cereals, and brown rice.Learn how to shop for, and cook, foods that are healthy for your heart. Learn how to read food labels to choose healthy foods. Stay away from fast foods, where healthy choices can be hard to find.Get plenty of exercise. And talk with your provider about what kinds of exercises are best for you.Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Diabetes Association. 10. Cardiovascular disease and risk management: standards of medical care in diabetes-2022. Diabetes Care. 2022; 45(Suppl 1):S144-S174. PMID: 34964815 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34964815/.Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, Buroker AB, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;74(10):1376-1414. PMID: 30894319 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30894319/.Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC Guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63(25 Pt B):2960-2984. PMID: 24239922 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24239922/.Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the management of blood cholesterol: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(24):e285-e350. PMID: 30423393 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30423393/.Hensrud DD, Heimburger DC, eds. Nutrition's interface with health and disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 202.Mozaffarian D. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29.AllVideoImagesTogUnderstanding cholesterol resultsAnimation Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersUnderstanding cholesterol results - Animation LDL cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation, and for very good reason. Having too much of this fatty substance in your blood can clog up your arteries, preventing blood from getting to your heart and out to where it's needed in your body. Checking your LDL levels can help your doctor spot high cholesterol before it can cause a heart attack or stroke. Let's talk today about LDL tests. LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. Lipoprotein is a type of protein that transports cholesterol, as well as fats called triglycerides and lipids, in your blood. When you eat too many fatty, cholesterol-rich foods, LDL cholesterol can start to collect in your artery walls. That's one collection you don't want, because if a chunk of that gunk breaks loose and gets lodged in a blood vessel, you could end up having a heart attack or stroke. To check your LDL cholesterol level, you'll need to have a blood test. Your doctor may tell you not to eat or drink anything for 8 to 12 hours before the test, so you can get an accurate reading. During the test, your doctor will draw blood from one of your veins. The needle might sting a little bit, but the feeling shouldn't last for any more than a few seconds. So, how do you know that you have high LDL cholesterol? Well, your LDL cholesterol level (think L for Lousy) will usually be measured along with your HDL, or good cholesterol (think H for Healthy), as well as your triglycerides and your total cholesterol level. Together, these measurements are called a lipid panel. You want your LDL level to be at least below 130 mg/dl, but ideally less than 100 milligrams per deciliter. If you're at high risk of heart disease, it should be even lower than that - less than 70 milligrams per deciliter. And for folks of average risk of getting heart disease, anything over 160 is considered a high LDL level. If you do have LDL cholesterol, you could be at risk for heart disease. Now, some folks have high cholesterol because they have an inherited condition that causes high cholesterol. If your LDL is low, it may be because you're not eating a well-balanced diet or your intestines aren't absorbing the nutrients from the foods that you eat. Ask your doctor how often you should have your LDL, and total cholesterol levels, checked. Depending upon your heart disease risks, you may need to be tested more often. If your LDL cholesterol is high, ask your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications, diet, and other ways to bring it back down into a normal range.Saturated fats - illustration Saturated fats are found predominantly in animal products such as meat and dairy products, and can be associated with higher cholesterol levels. Tropical oils such as palm, coconut, and coconut butter, are also high in saturated fats.Saturated fatsillustrationUnderstanding cholesterol resultsAnimation Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersUnderstanding cholesterol results - Animation LDL cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation, and for very good reason. Having too much of this fatty substance in your blood can clog up your arteries, preventing blood from getting to your heart and out to where it's needed in your body. Checking your LDL levels can help your doctor spot high cholesterol before it can cause a heart attack or stroke. Let's talk today about LDL tests. LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. Lipoprotein is a type of protein that transports cholesterol, as well as fats called triglycerides and lipids, in your blood. When you eat too many fatty, cholesterol-rich foods, LDL cholesterol can start to collect in your artery walls. That's one collection you don't want, because if a chunk of that gunk breaks loose and gets lodged in a blood vessel, you could end up having a heart attack or stroke. To check your LDL cholesterol level, you'll need to have a blood test. Your doctor may tell you not to eat or drink anything for 8 to 12 hours before the test, so you can get an accurate reading. During the test, your doctor will draw blood from one of your veins. The needle might sting a little bit, but the feeling shouldn't last for any more than a few seconds. So, how do you know that you have high LDL cholesterol? Well, your LDL cholesterol level (think L for Lousy) will usually be measured along with your HDL, or good cholesterol (think H for Healthy), as well as your triglycerides and your total cholesterol level. Together, these measurements are called a lipid panel. You want your LDL level to be at least below 130 mg/dl, but ideally less than 100 milligrams per deciliter. If you're at high risk of heart disease, it should be even lower than that - less than 70 milligrams per deciliter. And for folks of average risk of getting heart disease, anything over 160 is considered a high LDL level. If you do have LDL cholesterol, you could be at risk for heart disease. Now, some folks have high cholesterol because they have an inherited condition that causes high cholesterol. If your LDL is low, it may be because you're not eating a well-balanced diet or your intestines aren't absorbing the nutrients from the foods that you eat. Ask your doctor how often you should have your LDL, and total cholesterol levels, checked. Depending upon your heart disease risks, you may need to be tested more often. If your LDL cholesterol is high, ask your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications, diet, and other ways to bring it back down into a normal range.Saturated fats - illustration Saturated fats are found predominantly in animal products such as meat and dairy products, and can be associated with higher cholesterol levels. Tropical oils such as palm, coconut, and coconut butter, are also high in saturated fats.Saturated fatsillustrationSelf Care Cholesterol and lifestyleCholesterol - drug treatmentRelated Information Heart bypass surgery(Surgery)Carotid artery surgery - open(Surgery)Angioplasty and stent placement - carotid artery(Surgery)Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive(Surgery)Cardiac ablation procedures (Surgery)Heart pacemaker(Surgery)Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator(Surgery)Heart failure(Condition)Peripheral artery disease - legs(Condition)High blood cholesterol levels(Condition)Angina - discharge(Discharge)Heart attack – discharge(Discharge)Angioplasty and stent - heart - discharge (Discharge)Aspirin and heart disease(Self-Care)Being active when you have heart disease(Self-Care)Butter, margarine, and cooking oils(Self-Care)Cardiac catheterization - discharge (Discharge)Controlling your high blood pressure(Self-Care)Heart bypass surgery - discharge(Discharge)Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive - discharge(Discharge)Coronary artery disease - InDepth(In-Depth)Cholesterol - InDepth(In-Depth)Heart-healthy diet - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 7/30/2022 Reviewed By: Stefania Manetti, RD/N, CDCES, RYT200, My Vita Sana LLC - Nourish and heal through food, San Jose, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. 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Cholesterol and lifestyleHyperlipidemia - cholesterol and lifestyle; CAD - cholesterol and lifestyle; Coronary artery disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Heart disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Prevention - cholesterol and lifestyle; Cardiovascular disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Peripheral artery disease - cholesterol and lifestyle; Stroke - cholesterol and lifestyle; Atherosclerosis - cholesterol and lifestyleYour body needs cholesterol to work well. But cholesterol levels that are too high can harm you.In the US, blood cholesterol is most often measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Extra cholesterol in your blood builds up inside the walls of your blood vessels. This buildup is called plaque, or atherosclerosis. Plaque reduces or stops blood flow. This can cause a: Heart attack Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Stroke StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Serious heart or blood vessel disease Your Cholesterol NumbersAll men should have their blood cholesterol levels tested every 5 years, starting at age 35 years. All women should do the same, starting at age 45 years. Many adults should have their blood cholesterol levels tested at a younger age, possibly as early as age 20 years, if they have risk factors for heart disease. Children with risk factors for heart disease should also have their blood cholesterol levels checked. Some expert groups recommend cholesterol testing for all children ages 9 to 11 and again between ages 17 and 21. Have your cholesterol checked more often (probably every year) if you have:Diabetes DiabetesDiabetes is a long-term (chronic) disease in which the body cannot regulate the amount of sugar in the blood.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Heart disease Heart diseaseCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. CHD is also called coronary artery disea...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Blood flow problems to your feet or legs A history of stroke A blood cholesterol test measures the level of total cholesterol. This includes HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.Related video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersYour LDL level is what health care providers watch most closely. You want it to be low. If it gets too high, you will need to treat it.Treatment includes:Eating a healthy diet Losing weight (if you are overweight) ExercisingExercisingYou do not need a pricey gym membership or fancy equipment to get regular exercise. With a little creativity, you can find many ways to exercise for...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You may also need medicine to lower your cholesterol.Medicine to lower your cholesterolYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. But extra cholesterol in your blood causes deposits to build up on the inside walls of your blood vess...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article You want your HDL cholesterol to be high. Exercise can help raise it, but only a small amount.Eating RightIt is important to eat right, keep a healthy weight, and exercise, even if:You do not have heart disease or diabetes. Your cholesterol levels are in the normal range. These healthy habits may help prevent future heart attacks and other health problems.Eat foods that are low in fat. These include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Using low-fat toppings, sauces, and dressings will help.Look at food labels. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat. Eating too much of this type of fat can lead to heart disease.Choose lean protein foods, such as soy, fish, skinless chicken, very lean meat, and fat-free or 1% dairy products. Look for the words "hydrogenated", "partially hydrogenated", and "trans fats" on food labels. Do not eat foods with these words in the ingredients lists. Limit how much fried food you eat. Limit how many prepared baked goods (for example, donuts, cookies, and crackers) you eat. They may contain a lot of fats that are not healthy. Eat fewer egg yolks, hard cheeses, whole milk, cream, and ice cream. Eat less fatty meat and smaller portions of meat, in general. Use healthy ways to cook fish, chicken, and lean meats, such as broiling, grilling, poaching, and baking. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Good fibers to eat are oats, bran, split peas and lentils, beans (kidney, black, and navy beans), some cereals, and brown rice.Learn how to shop for, and cook, foods that are healthy for your heart. Learn how to read food labels to choose healthy foods. Stay away from fast foods, where healthy choices can be hard to find.Get plenty of exercise. And talk with your provider about what kinds of exercises are best for you.Open ReferencesReferencesAmerican Diabetes Association. 10. Cardiovascular disease and risk management: standards of medical care in diabetes-2022. Diabetes Care. 2022; 45(Suppl 1):S144-S174. PMID: 34964815 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34964815/.Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, Buroker AB, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;74(10):1376-1414. PMID: 30894319 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30894319/.Eckel RH, Jakicic JM, Ard JD, et al. 2013 AHA/ACC Guideline on lifestyle management to reduce cardiovascular risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014;63(25 Pt B):2960-2984. PMID: 24239922 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24239922/.Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the management of blood cholesterol: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(24):e285-e350. PMID: 30423393 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30423393/.Hensrud DD, Heimburger DC, eds. Nutrition's interface with health and disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 202.Mozaffarian D. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29.