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Playing
by the Numbers to Lower Your Cholesterol
Exercise can lower cholesterol
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Having high blood cholesterol can increase your risk of developing heart and vascular disease, or for having a heart attack. In fact, the higher your blood cholesterol level the greater your chance of cardiovascular disease and a stroke. When high cholesterol is combined with other risk factors, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, your risk for cardiovascular problems increases even more.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in your blood. When there is too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the body. As the arteries narrow, blood flow to the heart is slowed or blocked.
“If there is not enough oxygen supplied to the heart angina, a heart attack, or even death can result,” David Bush, M.D., OLBH cardiologist, said.
“High cholesterol does not produce symptoms. That is why it is important to have your cholesterol level checked,” Bush advised. “Everyone age 20 and older should have a fasting (not eating or drinking for 12-14 hours) lipoprotein profile to determine exact cholesterol levels, at least once every five years.”
A “lipoprotein profile” gives information about:
- Total cholesterol
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad cholesterol” - the primary source of cholesterol buildup
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good cholesterol” - which helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries
- Triglycerides - another form of fat in the blood
Evaluating Your Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
“Generally, the higher your LDL level and the more risk factors you have for cardiovascular disease, the greater your chances are you will develop cardiovascular disease,” Bush said. In addition to a high LDL level, the risk factors for cardiovascular disease include:
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Low HDL cholesterol
- Family history of early cardiovascular disease
- Age - 45 or older for men; 55 or older for women
Lowering LDL Cholesterol
You can lower cholesterol by:
- Eating fewer high fat foods (particularly those high in saturated fats)
- Reducing the amount of cholesterol in your diet
- Losing weight, if you are overweight
- Increasing the amount of soluble fiber in your diet (beans, oat bran, melons, and dried fruits)
- Exercising regularly
If medications are needed to lower your cholesterol, Bush stressed it is still important to eat a healthy diet, control weight, and exercise to keep in proper condition. “These activities will reduce the amount of medicine you need and lower your overall risk of cardiovascular disease,” he stated.
For more information about lowering your cholesterol, speak to your family physician. If you do not have a physician, utilize OLBH’s free physician referral service by calling the OLBH CareLine at (606) 833-CARE (2273).
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