Measuring your cholesterol involves taking a sample of blood. Often your health-care professional will recommend and arrange these tests during an office visit, although it is best to have the blood drawn after fasting for 14-16 hours.
Cholesterol screening opportunities are often available in the community such as:
| Type of Fat | Bad | Better | Desirable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Blood Cholesterol | 240 mg/dL** and above needs evaluation of HDL and LDL levels | 200-239 is borderline high | 200 and less; 150 is ideal |
| HDL | 40 mg/dL or less | 45 for men; 55 for women | 60 or more |
| LDL | 190 mg/dL or more considered very high; 160-189 considered high | 130-159 is borderline high | 100-129 is nearly the best; under 100 is ideal |
| Triglycerides | 500 mg/dL or more is very high; 200-499 is considered high | 150-199 is borderline high | Under 150 is normal |
*From the revised guidelines ATP III, National Institutes of Health **mg/dL means milligrams per deciliter of blood
Regular aerobic exercise helps lower cholesterol levels as well as control high blood pressure, diabetes, and body weight. While most health organizations recommend 30 minutes a day of some type of exercise, the bottom line is that more is probably better, but some is still better than none.
Many people get their exercise at work performing manual labor but may not have much aerobic exercise. Exercise comes in many forms and keeping the body moving is an important part of maintaining physical conditioning as well as good bone density, muscle flexibility, and joint function. Many people get their exercise at work performing manual labor but may not have much aerobic exercise.
Walking 2 miles in 30 minutes 3 times a week constitutes a moderate level of aerobic exercise. That may be enough to raise your HDL cholesterol by 1 to 3 points (higher is better) and lower your LDL cholesterol (lower is better).
If you can't get in a 30-minute block of exercise all at once, do a few minutes of exercise here and there throughout the day (climb the stairs at work, walk around the block on your lunch break, park and walk). Researchers have demonstrated that exercise even without weight loss can have a positive impact on improving cholesterol levels. It is the amount of activity, and not necessarily any changes in fitness or intensity of exercise that is important for cholesterol improvement and decreasing the risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
Diet and other lifestyle changes affect your blood cholesterol levels. Changing daily habits may prevent the need to take medication to control cholesterol levels, if no other risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) are present. Cholesterol-lowering medications are available, but they should be used in addition to and not as a substitute for exercise, dietary changes, avoiding smoking, and controlling blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Lifestyle changes should be employed first and continued for a lifetime to manage cholesterol levels.
Diets high in saturated fat are linked to high total blood cholesterol levels and pose an increased risk for heart disease and other vascular diseases. Simply put, reduce all fats in your diet, paying particular attention to saturated fats.
The American Heart Association suggests that fats should represent no more than 30% of total calories you consume in a day, but 25% or 20% is even better. Most of the fats in the diet should be unsaturated.
| Daily Calorie Intake | Grams of Fat Using Guide of 20% of Calories from Fat Per day |
|---|---|
| 1200 | 27 |
| 1300 | 29 |
| 1400 | 31 |
| 1500 | 33 |
| 1600 | 36 |
| 1700 | 38 |
| 1800 | 40 |
| 1900 | 42 |
| 2000 | 44 |
| 2100 | 47 |
| 2200 | 49 |
| 2300 | 51 |
| 2400 | 53 |
| 2500 | 56 |
| 2600 | 58 |
| 2700 | 60 |
| 2800 | 62 |
| 2900 | 64 |
| 3000 | 67 |
Certain foods really do have health benefits for controlling cholesterol and overall heart health beyond providing basic nutrition. The Department of Health and Human Services identifies these food choices.
Lower cholesterol levels should start at the grocery store. Read food labels and buy foods low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol (cholesterol itself is found in some foods, and this type of cholesterol is different from blood cholesterol). If possible, try to include fresh fruits and vegetables in every grocery shopping trip.
To help you know what to look for when grocery shopping, use this shopping list from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute:
The Mediterranean diet lets you eat rich-tasting foods such as roasted sweet potatoes, hummus, and lima bean spread. Greek meals are often small, easily assembled plates called mezzes. For your own serve-it-cold casual meal, you could put out plates of cheese, olives, and nuts.
