Health Sponsored content The fight against cholesterol: Diet and exercise play a major role While some factors such as genetics and age can increase a person's risk for cardiovascular disease, healthy lifestyle choices can lower risks By Lauren Glendenning A high total cholesterol number med to be cause foe woery, but these days doctors are focasing on cholesterol numbers in comlination with other factors when determining a persons overall cardiovascular risk Cholesterol is a wasy sebitance in the body that helps build cells, but too much of it can be a bad thing The liver makes cholesterol, but the remainder comes from animal foods such as meat, poultry and full fat dairy products according to the American Heart Association. High cholesterel is often caused from a combination of penctics - incloding inherited high cholesterol levels and diet, sald De. Carol Venable, Internal Medicine Physician at Kaiser Permanente's Frisco Medical Ofes- There are also secondary ceuses sach as medications, hypothyroidism, certain kidncy discases, et. that can lead to higher cholesterol levels WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL Cholesterol is a type of fat, or lipid, in the blood. LDL Bow-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is considered the bad cholesterel, while IDL (high-density ligoprotein) is the good cholesterol. LEM. cholesterol contrabates to faty buildups in the arteries, known as atherosdlerosis, whlchA nateows the arberies and increases the risk for heart alack A healthy diet that consists of healthy fats, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables is just one way to prevent stroke and peripheral artery disease, sas The American high cholesterol. CHOLESTEROL TEST RESU LIPED PANEL HDL cholesterol acts as a scavenger and carries the bad cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, but it doesat completely eliminate bad cholesterol. The American Heart Association reports that only one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL Finally, triglycerides store excess energy from the diet and are the most commen type of fat in the bedy A high trighyceride lewel combined with high LDL Ibad) cholesterol or low HDL. (good) cholesterol is linked with fatty boildups within the artery walls, which increases the risk of heart attack nd stroke, reports the Amerisan Heart Association A cholesterol test is called a lipid panel and measares all of the fats in your blood FIGHT CHOLESTEROL WITH BETTER FOOD CHOICES Have berries and almonds on top ofoatmeal indead of a blueberry muffin Haveegg whites with vegetables instead of fried or Eatfish iotead of ced meat or processed delimeats Grillor roast chicken instead of frying i Try pretzels and cocos-dusted almonds instead of potato chips and chocolate bars A cholesterol test is called a lipid panel and measures all of the fats in your blood. ow Kiser Perne HEART-HEALTHY For a heart-healthy diet, choose foods that are lowir which are medications that lower cholesterol-asolower cardiovascular rsk, even in high-risk patients with normated and trans fats, and limit sodium and added sugars cholesterol bevels, Venable said. Several ether medications CHOLESTEROL LEVELS The primary danger of having cholesterol that is too high can lower cholesterol, tooa, but Venable said they are is candiovascular disease, such as heart attack and stroke ically second or third line and used only if patients Venable said. Certain foods can help yoa lower your cholesterol (se "e use cholesterol numbers, along with other risk factors factbox), and exercise can help taise your HDL cholestetol scas age a calkulate a 10-year risk number (this is goodl. A person can't control family history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Venable said. A nd age, but we can make better lifestyle choices Eating a healihful diet, maintaining a normal body weight wth what would historically have been termed "sermal and engaging in esxercise are all ways to redoce risks for cardiovascular disease. Venable said. Statin medikacardiovascelar risk in high-risk patients. Foods that help lower cholesterol indlude Oats Fritsand vegetables Egsplant and oka Vegetable oils strawberries PWhole grairs cannot tolerate stasin medications Foodsfortified with sterols and stanols blood presure, to Fatty fsh Fiber supplemes 10-year risk malters because ww know that even in patient Apples grapes, sholesterol levels, laking a statin medscation will lower Sooree Kise Pewaneat hernl Mraces Seloos thrive Court Suite 104 rnco,co 0443 KAISER PERMANENTE