National Cholesterol Education Month - What You Need to Know

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance your body needs. But when you have too much in your blood, it can build up on the walls of your arteries and form blockages. This can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.



There are two kinds of cholesterol: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). HDL is also called "good" cholesterol. LDL is called "bad" cholesterol. When we talk about high cholesterol, we are talking about "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Seventy-one million American adults have high cholesterol, but only one-third of them have the condition under control.1 September is National Cholesterol Education Month—a good time to resolve to get your cholesterol screened.

Screening

Screening is the key to detecting high cholesterol. Because high cholesterol does not have symptoms, many people do not know their cholesterol is too high. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to check your cholesterol level.

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that adults aged 20 years or older have their cholesterol checked every 5 years.

You may need to have your cholesterol checked more often if any of the following statements apply to you:

· Your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or higher.

· You are a man older than age 45 or a woman older than age 50.

· Your HDL cholesterol is lower than 40 mg/dL.

· You have other risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

The Healthy People 2020 objective is to have 82% of the population screened. The number of people who said they were screened for cholesterol between 2005-2009 increased from 73% to 76%, only a handful of states met the 82% Healthy People 2020 objective.

Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol

Make lifestyle changes by:

·   Eating a healthy diet. Avoid saturated fats and trans fats, which tend to raise cholesterol levels. Other types of fats, such as polyunsaturated fats, can lower blood cholesterol levels. Eating fiber also can help lower cholesterol.

·   Exercising regularly. Physical activity can help lower cholesterol. The Surgeon General recommends that adults engage in moderate-intensity exercise for 2 hours and 30 minutes every week.

·   Maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese can raise your cholesterol levels. Losing weight can help lower your cholesterol.

·   Not smoking. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible.

Be sure to follow your doctor's instructions and stay on your medications, if prescribed, to control your cholesterol.

For more information about cholesterol and how you can prevent high cholesterol or keep it in check, see "Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with TLC" from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Reference
CDC, Cholesterol

 

National Triglycerides Day

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a type of fat. They are the most common type of fat in your body. They come from foods, especially butter, oils, and other fats you eat. Triglycerides also come from extra calories. Your body changes these extra calories into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells. When your body needs energy, it releases the triglycerides. Your VLDL cholesterol particles carry the triglycerides to your tissues.

Having a high level of triglycerides can raise your risk of heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease.

What causes high triglycerides?

Factors that can raise your triglyceride level include

• Regularly eating more calories than you burn off, especially if you eat a lot of sugar
• Being overweight or having obesity
• Cigarette smoking
• Excessive alcohol use
• Certain medicines
• Some genetic disorders
• Thyroid diseases
• Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
• Liver or kidney diseases

How Triglycerides is Diagnosed

What are the treatments for high triglycerides?

You may be able to lower your triglyceride levels with lifestyle changes:

• Controlling your weight
• Regular physical activity
• Not smoking
• Limiting sugar and refined foods
• Limiting alcohol
• Switching from saturated fats to healthier fats

Some people will also need to take cholesterol medicines to lower their triglycerides.

Resources.

1. High levels of fat in the blood in the form of triglycerides can increase your risk of heart disease. #Eatright 

2. What Are High Blood Cholesterol and Triglycerides? American Heart Association

3. Triglycerides, MedlinePlus