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National Cholesterol Education Month. Sokan Hunro, PAC, MPH. Cholesterol. Have you had a chance to get your cholesterol checked this year? It’s never too late to learn your numbers. Types & normal values of fats in the blood Total cholesterol: 100 – 199 mg/dl
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National Cholesterol Education Month Sokan Hunro, PAC, MPH
Cholesterol • Have you had a chance to get your cholesterol checked this year? It’s never too late to learn your numbers. • Types & normal values of fats in the blood • Total cholesterol: 100 – 199 mg/dl • Good cholesterol (HDL): >39 mg/dl • Bad Cholesterol (LDL): 0 – 99 mg/dl • Bad cholesterol: (VLDL): 5 – 40 mg/dl • Triglycerides: 0 – 149 mg/dl
Cholesterol • High blood cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. • It is a serious condition that increases your risk for heart disease & stroke. • The higher your cholesterol level, the greater the risk. • You can have high cholesterol and not know it.
How Cholesterol Causes Heart Attack or Stroke Heart with muscle damage and a blocked artery
TYPES OF “FATS” • I. Total cholesterol • Source: Saturated fats: (animal products: meat, poultry, lard, mild and butter) • Total Cholesterol Level Category • Less than 200 mg/dL: Desirable • 200-239 mg/dL: Borderline high • 240 mg/dL and above: High
TYPES OF “FATS” • II. LDL (bad) cholesterol • The main source of cholesterol buildup and blockage in the arteries. • LDL level is a good indicator of your risk for heart disease. • Lowering LDL is the main aim of treatment if you have high cholesterol. • In general, the higher your LDL level, the greater your chance of developing heart DZ.
TYPES OF “FATS” • LDL (bad) Cholesterol • Source: • 1. Saturated fats: (animal products: meat, poultry, lard, mild and butter) • 2. Trans fats: Hydrogenated oils in cookies, crackers, margarines. • LDL Cholesterol Level LDL Cholesterol Category • Less than 100 mg/dL: Optimal • 100-129 mg/dL: Near optimal/above optimal • 130-159 mg/dL: Borderline high • 160-189 mg/dL: High • 190 mg/dL and above: Very high
III. HDL (good) cholesterol: Protects against heart disease. The higher HDL, the better. Helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries. A level less than 40 mg/dL is low: a major risk factor because it increases your risk. HDL levels of 60 mg/dL or more help to lower your risk for heart disease. TYPES OF “FATS”
TYPES OF “FATS” • IV. Triglycerides • Triglycerides can also raise heart disease risk. • Things that can increase triglyceride levels include: • Overweight • Physical inactivity • Cigarette smoking • Excessive alcohol use • Very high carbohydrate diet • Certain diseases and drugs • Genetic disorders • Levels that are borderline high (150-199 mg/dL) or high (200 mg/dL or more) may need treatment in some people. • High level of 500 mg/dl or more could lead to pancreatitis if not lowered immediately.
Management of High Cholesterol • The main goal is to lower the LDL level. • There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol: • 1. Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)–includes a cholesterol-lowering diet (called the TLC diet), physical activity, and weight management. TLC is for anyone whose LDL is above goal. (Please see the next 3 slides) • 2. Drug Treatment: * Not the FIRST choice of management. * Used together with TLC treatment to help lower your LDL.
Management of High Cholesterol • Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) • TLC is a set of lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your LDL cholesterol. The main parts of TLC are: • I. The TLC Diet, which recommends: • Limiting the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol you eat. • Eating only enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight. • Increasing the soluble fiber in your diet. For example, oatmeal, kidney beans, and apples are good sources of soluble fiber.
Management of High Cholesterol • Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) • II. Physical activity: • Regular physical activity is recommended for everyone. • It can help raise HDL and lower LDL levels. • Is especially important for those with raised triglyceride and/or reduced HDL levels who are overweight with a large waist measurement (metabolic syndrome). • Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, on most, and preferably all, days of the week.
Management of High Cholesterol • III. Weight management: • Especially important for those with a group of risk factors that includes raised triglyceride and/or reduced HDL levels and being overweight. • Losing weight if you are overweight can help lower LDL.
Facts • Cholesterol and the heart disease that it leads to know of no ethnicity, gender or socioeconomic status. Everyone could be at risk. So, please be sure to: • Check your cholesterol and other fat levels regularly. • Check for other health problems that may contribute to heart disease and stroke, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. • Exercise regularly. • Take ALL medicines as prescribed by your health care provider. • Quit smoking and lose weight if they are risk factors for you. • See your healthcare provider or call the Wellness Center if you have not had your cholesterol checked in the past year. References: American Heart Association & The Mayo Clinic