Cholesterol

Reduce your cholesterol

No one wants to be told that they have high cholesterol. After all, high blood cholesterol can lead to blocked arteries and coronary heart disease (CHD). In fact, the higher a person’s cholesterol level is, the greater that person’s risk is for CHD. And no one wants to be at an increased risk for having a heart attack or of having an angioplasty or bypass surgery. There is a solution for lowering the risk level, though: reduce cholesterol levels in the body. There are a few ways in which this can be done safely and relatively easily.

Lower Cholesterol Through Lifestyle Changes

Most doctors will initially recommend that patients try making a few lifestyle changes to try to reduce their cholesterol levels. First and foremost, people should stop smoking. Avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke is also helpful in lowering cholesterol. Of course, it isn’t easy to stop smoking; however, this should be a goal.

It is also important to eat a low cholesterol diet. This, too, may be difficult for many people because it requires several dietary suggestions and restrictions. Low cholesterol diets are typically rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. High-fiber foods are also essential parts of these diets. As for protein, fish is suggested to be consumed at least twice per week; lean meats and poultry are recommended for other protein sources. Fatty meats are to be avoided. Fat-free or low-fat dairy products are included in low cholesterol diets as well. Nearly all other foods need to be low in saturated fat and trans fat. There are many sources online that can give tips on reduced cholesterol diets. Some doctors suggest that patients visit a nutritionist.

Another lifestyle change that most doctors recommend for most patients is getting regular exercise in the form of a fitness program. People who take part in exercise most days of the week tend to have lower cholesterol levels.

Medication for Lowering Cholesterol

If lifestyle changes do not help enough in reducing cholesterol, doctors often prescribe medication. There are many types of cholesterol medications; therefore, people may need to try more than one medicine before finding one that will work best for them. Some people may need to take two cholesterol medications in order to keep their cholesterol level under control.