This can raise your risk of several health problems, including heart disease and stroke. Your doctor can use a simple blood test to measure your triglyceride level, as well as your cholesterol levels.
If you have a history of high cholesterol or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, your doctor may encourage you to get your cholesterol levels tested more often. Your doctor can use a lipid panel to measure your total cholesterol level, as well your LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Your total cholesterol level is the overall amount of cholesterol in your blood.
If your levels of total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol are too high, your doctor may diagnose you with high cholesterol. If your doctor does prescribe you medication, different factors may influence the type of medication they recommend. With this in mind, most physicians use generalized measurements to decide on treatment plans. They may categorize these measurements as desirable, borderline high, or high cholesterol.
According to the National Library of Medicine , the total cholesterol of most adults can be categorized as:. Again, these measurements are general. You and your doctor will consider other personal factors before deciding on a treatment plan. Your body needs some cholesterol to function properly, including some LDL. But if your LDL levels are too high, it can raise your risk of serious health problems. In , the American College of Cardiologists and the American Heart Association updated their recommendations for the treatment of high cholesterol.
Under the new guidelines, in addition to your cholesterol levels, treatment recommendations analyze other risk factors for heart disease, such as family history and other health issues. Without treatment, high cholesterol can cause plaque to build up in your arteries. Over time, this plaque can narrow your arteries.
This condition is known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a serious condition. It can limit the flow of blood through your arteries. It also raises your risk of developing dangerous blood clots. High cholesterol can also create a bile imbalance, raising your risk of gallstones.
See the other ways that high cholesterol can impact your body. If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to help lower it. For instance, they may recommend changes to your diet, exercise habits, or other aspects of your daily routine.
If you smoke, they will likely advise you to quit. Your doctor may also prescribe medications or other treatments to help lower your cholesterol levels. In some cases, they may refer you to a specialist for more care. To help you achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol levels, your doctor may recommend changes to your diet.
Eating fish and other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids may also help lower your LDL levels. For example, salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich sources of omega-3s. Walnuts, almonds, ground flaxseeds, and avocados also contain omega-3s. Statins are the most commonly prescribed medications for high cholesterol. They block your liver from producing more cholesterol. One example is a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin Vytorin.
Learn more about the drugs used to treat high cholesterol. In some cases, you may be able to lower your cholesterol levels without taking medications. For example, it may be enough to eat a nutritious diet, exercise regularly, and avoid smoking tobacco products. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High cholesterol can run in families. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia FH is an inherited form of high blood cholesterol. Other medical conditions. Certain races may have an increased risk of high blood cholesterol.
What should my LDL level be? TLC includes three parts: Heart-healthy eating. A heart-healthy eating plan limits the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat. Weight Management. If you are overweight, losing weight can help lower your LDL cholesterol. Physical Activity. Everyone should get regular physical activity 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.
Drug Treatment. If lifestyle changes alone do not lower your cholesterol enough, you may also need to take medicines. There are several types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available, including statins. The medicines work in different ways and can have different side effects.
Talk to your health care provider about which one is right for you. While you are taking medicines to lower your cholesterol, you still should continue with the lifestyle changes. Learn More. Learn more. About 71 million Americans have high cholesterol. A large part of preventing and treating the condition is understanding it.
Here are five important cholesterol facts to know for better health. In fact, there are actually several different types of cholesterol. High levels of this substance in the blood can call for medication or lifestyle changes to bring them down. Visit the Calculating Your Cholesterol article for more information.
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