Cholesterol is a natural substance made by your liver or consumed in foods, and is necessary for our health. However, too much cholesterol (and specific types of cholesterol) are associated with an increased risks of heart attack, stroke, and other health issues.
When you get your blood tested for cholesterol, you may hear your doctor talk about different types of results: total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides.
In general, people who do not have heart disease or stroke already should aim for these numbers:
There are plenty of things that can be done about high cholesterol. In addition, just because you have high cholesterol doesn’t mean you are at a very high risk of heart attack or stroke; it is just one risk factor among others that you can modify to live healthier and prevent disease. Some modifiable risk factors include:
Some non-modifiable risk factors (meaning you can’t change them) include:
Not everyone needs to be on medicine for high cholesterol. You and your doctor should take into account your overall risk of heart disease and stroke. Clear indications that you should start treatment with a cholesterol-lowering medication (usually a statin) include:
Yes! Some basic things that we should all be striving to do can lower cholesterol!