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Lifestyle Cholesterol Management

Understanding Your Risk

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. But it doesn't have to be —heart disease can be prevented. One of the best ways to prevent heart disease is to keep your blood cholesterol at healthy levels. High blood cholesterol can lead to coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.

You can make lifestyle changes to take control of your heart health. Managing your cholesterol level is one such important lifestyle change. Others include controlling high blood pressure, keeping your weight within normal limits (maintaining or re-establishing your ideal body weight), not smoking, exercising, and controlling diabetes and stress.

If you have a number of risk factors, such as having diabetes, being overweight, having high blood pressure, smoking, and having a high cholesterol level, they add up and greatly increase your risk for heart disease. Some risk factors you cannot control, such as being a man aged 45 years or older or being a woman aged 55 years or older. Some people have a family history of heart disease.

Reduce the risks as much as you can, and that includes knowing your lipids (LDL, HDL, triglycerides, and coronary risk ratio). You can estimate your risk for heart disease using the National Institutes of Health interactive tool.

If your cholesterol numbers indicate you are at increased risk for coronary artery disease and stroke, your health care provider may recommend that you try diet and exercise to lower and control your cholesterol first. Diet and exercise can effectively lower cholesterol. You should try these strategies before you consider taking cholesterol-lowering medication.