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Keeping cholesterol under control
Everyone age 20 or over needs their cholesterol checked at least once every five years. This test is called a lipid profile. It is done after a 9-12 hour fast. It measures total cholesterol, LDLcholesterol (the bad kind), HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and triglycerides (blood fats.) If your values are high, you will need it done more often. The main goal for treating high cholesterol is lowering LDL-cholesterol. Lowering LDL cholesterol prevents heart attacks and reduces deaths from heart attacks. Getting the level down can stop or even reverse the buildup of plaque along your arteries. How low you need to get your LDL-cholesterol down depends on how high risk you are. Those with the highest risk are people who already have heart disease or who have diabetes or several risk factors like smoking and high blood pressure. Those with the fewest risk factors may not have to lower their LDLcholesterol as much. Certainly having an LDL-cholesterol under 100 is best for those at highest risk. What types of life changes will you need to reduce your risk? Changing the diet to lower saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol intake, getting more active and reducing calories if overweight is focused on first. This means reading labels more carefully and making better food choices. Walking is a great way to get more active. Using a pedometer to gradually increase your steps to 10,000 day is a good way to start. These changes should be tried for at least six weeks before the cholesterol level is tested again. If these lifestyle changes do not lowered the blood cholesterol enough, your doctor may add a plant stanol or sterol and more soluble fiber is the next step. Plant stanols or sterols are found in special margarines and a special orange juice. These products are not calorie free so you must count their calories if you need to lose weight. Soluble fiber is found in whole grains like oatmeal and barley, fruits like citrus fruits and pears, cooked dried beans and peas like pinto beans or black-eyed peas and vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli. Try these new additions and continue to cut the bad fats, control calories and be active for another six weeks. If the LDL-cholesterol is still not at goal, you may need cholesterol lowering drugs. These drugs include- 1) Statin drugs which slow the production of cholesterol by the body; 2) Ezetimibe which reduced absorption of cholesterol; 3) Bile acid resins which bind cholesterol in the intestines so it can be eliminated; 4) Nicotinic acid (niacin) which improves not only LDL-cholesterol, but also total cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol; 5) Fibrates which lowers triglycerides and can raise HDL-cholesterol. You may also want to consume more omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish like salmon and plants sources like flaxseed, walnuts, and canola and soybean oils. You may also need to cut your sodium by eating fewer processed foods and adding less salt to your food and drinking less than 1-2 drinks of alcohol per day. None of these changes are easy. But they are worth it in terms of living a longer, healthier life. For more information about your health call the Emanuel County Extension office 237-1226.
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