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Cholesterol and lifestyle

Hyperlipidemia - 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 lifestyle

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Your 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:

Your Cholesterol Numbers

All 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:

A blood cholesterol test measures the level of total cholesterol. This includes HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Your 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:

You may also need medicine to lower your cholesterol.

You want your HDL cholesterol to be high. Exercise can help raise it, but only a small amount.

Eating Right

It is important to eat right, keep a healthy weight, and exercise, even if:

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.

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.

Related Information

Heart bypass surgery
Carotid artery surgery - open
Angioplasty and stent placement - carotid artery
Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive
Cardiac ablation procedures
Heart pacemaker
Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator
Heart failure
Peripheral artery disease - legs
High blood cholesterol levels
High blood pressure in adults - hypertension
Angioplasty and stent placement - peripheral arteries
Peripheral artery bypass - leg
Angina - discharge
Heart attack – discharge
Angioplasty and stent - heart - discharge
Aspirin and heart disease
Being active when you have heart disease
Butter, margarine, and cooking oils
Cardiac catheterization - discharge
Controlling your high blood pressure
Heart bypass surgery - discharge
Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive - discharge
Dietary fats explained
Fast food tips
Heart disease - risk factors
How to read food labels
Mediterranean diet
Heart failure - fluids and diuretics
Heart failure - home monitoring
Heart failure - discharge
Stroke - discharge
Managing your blood sugar
Low-salt diet
Angina - what to ask your doctor
Cholesterol - what to ask your doctor
Heart failure - what to ask your doctor
High blood pressure - what to ask your doctor
Heart attack - what to ask your provider
Angioplasty and stent placement - peripheral arteries - discharge
Angioplasty and stent placement - carotid artery - discharge
Aortic aneurysm repair - endovascular - discharge
Atrial fibrillation - discharge
Carotid artery surgery - discharge
Peripheral artery bypass - leg - discharge
Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair - open - discharge

References

American 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.

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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.

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