CHOLESTEROL: WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND

CHOLESTEROL: WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND.

Cholesterol is a fat that’s produced by the liver that runs through our blood stream. Everyone has cholesterol in their body because we need it for cell development. Too much of the LDL or “bad cholesterol” can lead to excessive build up of plaque on the inner walls of your arteries leading to heart disease and stroke.

Ways to avoid plaque build up in your arteries is keeping the bad cholesterol at a minimum. High cholesterol genes can be passed down genetically but this doesn’t mean there’s nothing can be done to help keep it under control. Eating foods that’s low in fats and moderate exercise helps in reducing LDL. There are not always signs or symptoms from your body when you have high cholesterol but getting a blood test through a doctor is the best diagnose.

Usually foods from plants like veggie, grains, fruits and seeds carry no cholesterol while foods from animals carry most of it such as chicken, beef, pork, shell fish, eggs, and dairy products (but not all dairy products).

**Trying to lower your cholesterol?

1. try eating more oatmeal for breakfast (fruit can make it tastier)
2. try egg substitutes with no cholesterol instead of whole eggs
3. eat more veggies
4. look for labels in your supermarkets that promote “healthy hearts”
5. snacking on nuts like almonds and walnuts when your feeling hungry
6. eat more foods that’s high in Omega-3 Fatty Acids like fish ( salmon, sardines, trout)
7. limit your sodium intake

FACTS AND STATISTICS:

**High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease.

• About 17% of adult Americans aged 20 years and older have high total cholesterol (240 mg/dL or above).¹
• The average blood cholesterol level in adult Americans is about 203 mg/dL.¹
  
• In 2004, there were 6.5 million visits to doctors’ offices that included a cholesterol test being done or ordered.²
• Among African Americans, about 16.6% of women and 12.5% of men have high total cholesterol.²
  
• Among Mexican Americans, about 12.7% of women and 17.6% of men have high total cholesterol.²
  
• Among whites, 17.4% of women and 17.0% of men have high cholesterol.²
• The percentage of persons aged 20–74 years with high cholesterol dropped from 33% in 1960–1962 to 17% in 1999–2002. During that same time period, the average blood cholesterol levels in adults dropped from 222 mg/dL to 203 mg/dL.²
• The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that all adults have their cholesterol checked once every 5 years.³
• In 2005, 73% of adults reported that that they had their cholesterol checked within the previous 5 years, according to data from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Some 23% reported that they never had their cholesterol checked.⁴
  
• According to data from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2005), 75.7% of whites, 73.7% of African Americans, and 52% of Hispanics reported having had their cholesterol checked within the previous 5 years.⁴
  

REFERENCES:

1. National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United States, 2005, with Chartbook on the Health of Americans. Hyattsville, Maryland: 2004. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm.
2. CDC. Fastats: cholesterol (based on 2004 National ambulatory medical care survey). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats.
3. Third Report of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/index.htm.
4. CDC. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. 2005 prevalence data. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/brfss.

**This info is strictly to help educate. Never should any info on this website be means to not seek medical advice from a doctor.