In many ways, having high cholesterol is easy to overlook. Check any list of risk factors for heart disease and you will find it sandwiched between “high blood pressure” and “elevated blood sugar.” While all risk factors are important, cholesterol has some unique complexities that we all need to understand to help reduce the risk of heart attack.

Knowing good cholesterol from bad
Your body needs some cholesterol to function properly, but it has to be the right kind. “Good” cholesterol (HDL) is produced by your body and is made up of more protein than fat. “What we call ‘good’ cholesterol actually helps clear fat from the arteries and takes it to the liver to be processed,” says Karen Botsoe, MD, Primary Care Physician on staff at Adventist La Grange Memorial Hospital.

The cholesterol that could mean trouble for your heart health is made mostly of fat instead of protein. This “bad” cholesterol (LDL) comes from the food we eat and is more likely to stick to the walls of your arteries where it can cause blockages. “LDL cholesterol is what we definitely want to keep in check. When ‘bad’ cholesterol levels get too high, it builds up and restricts blood flow, which leads to heart disease,” Dr. Botsoe says.

Of all the risk factors for heart attack, having high LDL cholesterol is the one that works most independently. “Even if you don’t have a family history of heart disease or other risks like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, LDL cholesterol is enough to put you in an ‘at risk’ category,” explains Dr. Botsoe.

Prevention is on your plate
The good thing about having high cholesterol is that it can be controlled to a great extent by lifestyle choices and doesn’t always require medication to be treated. “Since high cholesterol has so much to do with our diet and lifestyle, lowering it can often be done by eating healthier and getting more exercise,” Dr. Botsoe says.

Five tips to keep your LDL level under control:
• Eat meat in moderation. “I recommend eating a more plant-based diet. Half of your plate should be fruits or vegetables,” Dr. Botsoe says. “If you do eat meat, choose lean cuts like skinless chicken breasts and make sure to trim the meat of all visible fat.” As for preparation, go with grilling or broiling over frying.

• Use cheese as a treat. “I know it’s tough to cut out cheese completely, so I recommend looking at it like a dessert. Eat it occasionally instead of every day,” says Dr. Botsoe. When you do include dairy in your diet, Dr. Botsoe suggests buying low-fat or no-fat cheese, yogurt and milk.

• Give butter the boot. “Butter has a lot of saturated fat that can increase your LDL cholesterol level,” Dr. Botsoe explains. The monosaturated fat in olive or canola oil is healthier for your arteries and can be just as flavorful to use when cooking.  

• Get your body moving. “Regular, moderate aerobic exercise lowers the bad cholesterol level in your blood and in some patients it even raises the good cholesterol levels,” says Dr. Botsoe. Try to get 30 minutes of walking, bicycling or water aerobics three to five times per week.

• Learn your levels. “A cholesterol check lets you and your doctor know whether you’re at risk for heart disease,” Dr. Botsoe says. “If you have a family history of heart disease or have elevated risk factors like obesity, I recommend getting your levels checked in your 20s.” Healthy levels vary by person, so it’s important to talk with your doctor about your lifestyle and medical history.

What to do if lifestyle changes aren’t enough
Patients usually work on changing their eating habits for three to six months. If the changes don’t seem to be making a significant difference, cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins are often the next step.

Whether you currently have high cholesterol or not, Dr. Botsoe urges you to adopt a lifestyle that will help keep your cholesterol in check. “Everyone should be concerned because everyone is potentially at risk for developing the condition,” she says.

Find out how heart disease affects the whole family at our FREE event on February 22, “Heart Disease is a Family Disease.” Click here  or call 866-533-7968 for details and to register.