Cholesterol 101

The good, the bad and how to keep it under control

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Cholesterol is getting a lot of attention these days. Between your doctor and your television, you probably hear a lot about what’s good, what’s bad and what you need to be doing about yours. But what does your cholesterol level really mean for your health? Let’s start with the basics.

WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by the liver and other cells. Your body needs a certain amount to produce hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help digest fat. Outside of the body, cholesterol occurs naturally in foods like dairy products, eggs and meat.

Your body needs only a limited amount of cholesterol. When there is too much, it can cause health problems such as heart disease or stroke.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) transport cholesterol away from the liver. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) bring cholesterol back to the liver.

When LDL carries cholesterol away from the liver, it can collect on the walls of coronary arteries and form plaque (a thick, hard deposit). Too much build-up can narrow the space for blood to flow to the heart and, over time, cause atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which causes heart disease.

The first step toward achieving a healthy cholesterol level is to know your numbers, which is done with a simple blood test.

If your LDL is high, treatment will usually include a low-fat diet, exercise, and medication. An easy way to remember which fats are good and which are bad is that most bad fats come from animals (meat, dairy), while most good fats are plant-based.

NEW FINDINGS

Leading heart experts recently released new guidelines for the use of statins to control cholesterol.

A statin is advised for those who:

  • Have heart disease
  • Have LDL higher than 190
  • Are middle-aged and have type 2 diabetes
  • Are ages 40-75 with an estimated 10-year risk of heart disease that exceeds 7.5 percent

Your doctor can tell you whether or not a statin is right for you.