February is American Heart Month.  Today, I’d like to discuss one aspect of Cardiovascular Health, Cholesterol.

Cholesterol isn’t all bad.  Cholesterol is needed and produced by our bodies, and is integral in cell structure.  The trouble starts when our levels of “bad cholesterol” – the LDL, get too high, and the levels of “good cholesterol” or HDL, get too low.  The LDL brings the cholesterol out into the blood stream, the HDL picks up the cholesterol and brings it back to the liver for clean up.  When there’s too much LDL, it can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries, this plaque can break off in clots, or build up and constrict the arteries and result in heart attacks and strokes (1).

The American Heart Association estimates that 102.2 million Americans have total cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL or higher – this is borderline-high risk.  Of those, 35.7 million Americans are at high risk with total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher.  The goal is to keep your total cholesterol under 200 (2).

So how can you lower your total cholesterol? Well, first you need to cut down on saturated and trans fatty acids.  These are fats found in fried foods, fatty meat cuts, and hydrogenated products.  Some other non-pharmaceutical options are:  Increasing foods high in soluble fiber like oatmeal, beans, prunes, barley, etc.; increasing your intakes of fatty fishes like salmon, sardines and herring to increase omega 3 fatty acid consumption; substituting nuts and seeds with their polyunsaturated fatty acids for foods with saturated fat like cheese on salads; substituting olive oil with its monounsaturated fatty acids for butter for cooking; you can even try plant sterols and stanols to help lower cholesterol levels – remember, you have to substitute – not add (3).

In addition to dietary and medication changes, physical activity is an important component of controling cholesterol levels.  Exercise can increase your HDL (the good stuff), while lowering your LDL (the bad stuff) and total cholesterol.  Remember to keep moving! 

If these tips don’t help you, your doctor may suggest statins.  These drugs inhibit the body from producing cholesterol.  They are effective for this purpose.  Just remember if you do take statins, they also block the process that changes Vitamin D from an inactive to an active form, and the process that makes CoEnzymeQ10, which is important for energy metabolism.  If your doctor starts you on statins, you may want to supplement Vitamin D and CoQ10.  Remember to discuss these issues with your doctor.

 1.  Good vs. Bad Cholesterol.  The American Heart Association.  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/Good-vs-Bad-Cholesterol_UCM_305561_Article.jsp.  Accessed 2/7/2011.

2.  Cholesterol Statistics.  The American Heart Association.  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4506.  Accessed 2/7/2011.

3.  Cholesterol: Top 5 foods to lower your numbers.  Mayo Clinic.  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002.  Accessed 2/7/2011.