If you say that you care about the risk of coronary heart disease like many other Americans. But if you have never taken full action, continue reading. You'll find answers to some of the most common questions people have about cholesterol, and what you can do to control cholesterol. The good news is that you will find it easier and better to control your cholesterol than you think!

Why is cholesterol suddenly becoming so important?

If you notice that cholesterol has received more and more attention in the past few decades, you are right. In 1985, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health launched the National Cholesterol Education Program [NCEP]. The goal of the program is to reduce coronary heart disease [CHD] disease and death by reducing the number of hyperlipidemia patients. The driving force behind NCEP is evidence of smoking, which reduces hyperlipidemia and reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. In fact, a 1% reduction in cholesterol can cause a 2% reduction in the risk of a heart attack!

The survey also showed that neither the doctor nor the general public fully understand the relationship between cholesterol and coronary heart disease. This has led to a positive strategy for public and professional education. So yes, you have heard more about cholesterol because there is still a lot to listen to.

What is coronary heart disease?

Over time, cholesterol and other blood-generating substances deposit on the inner walls of the coronary arteries. When this accumulation restricts blood flow through the artery, too little oxygen will reach the heart. At best, patients with coronary heart disease develop chest pain [angina]; in the worst case, this is a fatal heart attack – 30% of the nearly 200,000 deaths each year in the United States.

Although elevated blood cholesterol levels severely increase the risk of coronary heart disease, smoking and high blood pressure, other major risk factors, increase the risk.

How many Americans have high cholesterol?

According to NCEP estimates, the American Medical Association published the data: 36% of Americans have high cholesterol levels that are guaranteed to be under the care of a doctor. About 102 million Americans aged 20 and older can choose to have medical advice and interventions for hypercholesterolemia.

Most importantly, millions of people should take immediate steps to raise the level of cholesterol in the blood to the “ideal” range.

In other words, if your cholesterol levels can tolerate some repairs, you will have one thing in common, not one in every two Americans!

What role does age play?

If you are between the ages of 20 and 39, the cholesterol level may be too high. This ratio jumped to one-half between 40 and 59 years old. At the age of 60, you have a 60% chance of encountering problems.

Should you accept high cholesterol screening?

If you are over 20 years old, you should! The NCEP recommends that you test at least every five years.

Your initial assessment will determine your total cholesterol levels and assess risk factors such as smoking, blood pressure and your personal and family health history. Typically, cholesterol screening is performed during routine physical examinations, but the progress of the finger stick test procedure [finger puncture to extract a small amount of blood] is a practical and convenient alternative to extensive initial screening in a non-clinical setting. High or high blood cholesterol levels found by fingering should be confirmed by your family doctor.

The important thing is that you know your cholesterol level. Blood cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter [mg / dl]. Levels below 200 mg / dl are classified as "desired blood cholesterol", levels between 200 and 239 mg / dl are referred to as "critical high blood cholesterol" and above 240 mg / dl are "high blood cholesterol". At 200 and above, the risk of coronary heart disease has steadily increased.

In general, NCEP recommends that people with blood cholesterol levels between 200 and 239 mg / dl adopt a heart-healthy diet and retest each year. If there are other risk factors, further testing may be required.

People with blood cholesterol levels above 240 mg / dl should undergo additional tests to determine a course of treatment to lower their blood cholesterol levels.

Should the child be screened?

The American Academy of Pediatrics Nutrition Committee believes that children with early coronary heart disease or a family history of high cholesterol should be assessed. "Early" means that men are 60 years old and women are 60 years old.

For a variety of reasons, the college does not believe in universal testing of children, but its views are not shared by everyone. According to Cory Servaas, MD, director of the Children's Health Institute, 20% to 30% of the children under the age of 12 tested in her organization have higher cholesterol levels than we think… 180 mg / dl “She added: “Because screen tests are inexpensive and easy to operate, why not? Usually we don't know what family history is to see if the child should be tested. ”

Do you really have "good" and "bad" cholesterol?

absolute! But first, it's important to understand that everyone, regardless of age, needs cholesterol. It is essential for the formation of cell membranes and the manufacture of bile acids. It is also a chemical precursor of hormones such as progesterone, testosterone and estrogen. All cells in the body can make cholesterol – 80% is produced by the liver – and there are no known physiological reasons to supplement the body's own cholesterol and dietary cholesterol.

In order to make cholesterol from the place of manufacture – such as the liver – to where it is needed to support metabolism, it is transported as a lipoprotein. [Lipoproteins are substances that allow insoluble fats such as cholesterol to flow in water-based blood.] Low-density lipoprotein [LDL] carries cholesterol from the manufacturing site, while high-density lipoprotein [HDL] transports cholesterol to the liver. At this point, cholesterol can be further metabolized or removed into the intestines for elimination. Because high-density lipoproteins limit the amount of cholesterol in the blood, they prevent dangerous high cholesterol levels. High levels of high-density lipoprotein are associated with a lower incidence of coronary heart disease.

If your cholesterol test is in the “high” range, or if you are “close to critical” with other coronary risk factors, your doctor will perform additional tests to determine the relationship between LDL and HDL.

What can you do to keep your heart healthy?

You don't have to be a professional dietitian or have a boring diet to reduce or maintain your ideal cholesterol levels. You don't have to carry a calculator with you to add this or that milligram. What you need to know is some basic principles.

• Eat less fat! from

  There are three types of fat: saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat. A heart-healthy diet requires you to reduce your intake of saturated fat.

They are found in meat and dairy products, as well as in commercially prepared baked goods made from coconut oil and cocoa butter. Read the label!

Instead of eating foods that are high in saturated fat, focus on compound carbohydrates [whole grains, fruits and vegetables], seafood and poultry skin. If you are making meat, choose a lean cut and remove as much fat as possible before cooking. By reducing fat, you can also greatly reduce calories because fat contains twice as much calories as calories in calories or carbohydrates.

• Replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats. from

  Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats can actually help lower your cholesterol. A recent study conducted at the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, showed that monounsaturated fat reduced LDL [bad cholesterol] levels while maintaining HDL [good cholesterol] levels. Rapeseed oil is an excellent source of monounsaturated fat. It is one of Japan's major edible oils and is widely recognized for its low incidence of heart disease.

• Reduce dietary cholesterol. from

  Avoid organ meat completely and eat less egg yolk.

• Increase dietary fiber. from

   Never have fiber that is easier to introduce into your diet. Recently we have heard a lot about tart bran as a source of fiber for good reason. Studies have shown that regular consumption of oat bran can reduce cholesterol by up to 19%.

• exercise! from

   Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of CHD by increasing the level of good cholesterol HDL in the blood.

• Stop smoking! from

   Exercise increases HDL levels, but smoking reduces them. Smokers have an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

Does the school lunch program support heart health eating standards?

Jayne Newmark, a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, warned that the school lunch program is self-supporting and therefore sells the food that kids are most likely to buy. “Our job is to make children love heart-healthy food. Today, you will see a lot of hamburgers and French fries, because this is what children like. We have to sell jobs. That's why we want nutrition, although education does Starting from home, but not starting soon," Newmark said.

What are the additional benefits of a healthy heart diet?

High-fat and low-fiber diets are associated with colon and breast cancer as well as diverticulosis, stroke, diabetes, hypertension and even osteoporosis. If this is not enough, there will always be obesity that will attract the vanity of all of us.

I will do something about my cholesterol tomorrow. was originally published on Spring