This week's focus: The Cardiovascular System: Living with Cholesterol

Note: This page discusses changes to diet/nutrition and lifestyle that published research has shown may support heart health. Talk to your healthcare provider to learn more about your options and before making changes to your everyday nutrition and self-care practices.

Overview

Cholesterol is a compound in the blood which, in the right amounts, helps the body function properly. However, though it is by no means the only major risk factor, high blood (serum) cholesterol is clearly associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and related conditions. Cardiovascular, or heart, disease, is a wide-encompassing category that includes all conditions that affect the heart and the blood vessels, such as atherosclerosis, angina, heart attack, and so on.

For heart health, most doctors suggest cholesterol levels should stay under 200 mg/dl. As levels fall progressively below 200, the risk of heart disease continues to decline. According to many doctors, 180 or less is an optimal cholesterol level. Medical laboratories now subdivide total cholesterol measurement into several components, including:

• High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL): "Good" cholesterol, which protects against heart disease
• Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL): "Bad" cholesterol, which is directly linked to heart disease

The relative amount of HDL to LDL is more important than total cholesterol. For example, it is possible for someone with very high HDL to be at relatively low risk for heart disease even with total cholesterol above 200. Evaluation of changes in cholesterol requires consultation with a healthcare professional and should include measurement of total serum cholesterol, as well as HDL and LDL cholesterol.

Though a low cholesterol level is not a guarantee of perfect heart health, as other factors may also lead to cardiac events such as heart attack, aiming for healthy cholesterol levels and arteries does decrease risk. A high cholesterol level does not produce symptoms, so it is important to have your healthcare provider periodically measure your cholesterol levels, and work to reduce them if they are over 180 mg/dl.

Top Tips for Healthy Cholesterol Levels

Eat Right

• Reduce risk with fiber: Add whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables to your meals to reduce heart disease risk.
• Protect with produce: Most fruits and vegetables, and some nuts and spices, supply your body with disease-fighting nutrients.
• Eat more fish: Eating fish has been reported to increase HDL ("good") cholesterol and is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease in most but not all studies.
•  Add some olive oil: Monounsaturated fats, such as the fats in olive oil, lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, especially when the olive oil replaces saturated fats, such as many fats from meat and dairy, in the diet.
•  Get your garlic: Eating garlic has helped to lower cholesterol in some, but not all, research. It is also known to act as a blood thinner and may reduce other heart disease risk factors.
•  Add soy to your diet: Add soy foods, such as tofu, tempeh, and edamame, to your diet as an alternate protein source. 30 grams (about 1 ounce) a day of powdered soy protein added to food or drinks may help lower cholesterol.
•  Try a vegetarian diet: Vegetarians have lower cholesterol than meat eaters, in part because they avoid animal fat. Vegans (people who eat no meat, dairy, or eggs) have the lowest cholesterol levels. Emphasize vegetarian meals whenever possible to reap the rewards of avoiding animal fats and increasing fiber and other cholesterol-lowering nutrients.
•  Cut the bad fats: Foods that contain saturated fat, hydrogenated fat, and cholesterol (such as animal products, fried foods, and heavily processed baked goods) can raise cholesterol.
• Choose coffee carefully: Drinking boiled or French press coffee increases cholesterol levels, but drinking paper-filtered coffee does not, as paper coffee filters keep the offending chemicals from entering the cup.
•  Eat smaller, eat often: When people eat a number of small meals, studies have shown that serum cholesterol levels fall compared with the effect of eating the same food in three big meals.
•  Watch the margarine: Most margarines contain high levels of trans fatty acids and are linked to high cholesterol and heart disease.
•  Diabetics, go easy on the eggs: Until more is known about the link between eggs and heart disease, limiting eggs to one per day may be a good idea for people with diabetes.
• Avoid sugar: Eating sugar has been reported to reduce HDL ("good") cholesterol and to increase other heart disease risk factors.

Live Right

• Get and stay trim: Aim for a healthy body weight to avoid problems with blood lipids and other heart disease risk factors.
• Raise "good" cholesterol with exercise: Start a regular exercise program to help raise HDL cholesterol. Use a regular program of aerobic exercise to maintain optimal blood lipid levels and lower heart disease risk.
• Don't smoke: There is abundant evidence that cigarette smoking is directly linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease. Quitting smoking protects many people from atherosclerosis and heart disease, and is a critical step in the process of disease prevention.

© 2008 Aisle7. All rights reserved. www.Aisle7.net For further information about this topic please visit walmart.com/wellness

Disclaimer: The information in this page was prepared by Aisle7 for educational purposes only; it is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Health claims are based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications, diet, or exercise habits. Aisle7, Walmart, and Pierce Promotions make no representations concerning the information contained in this article and disclaim any liability for such information and the decisions you make based on such information.