How Can I Lower My Cholesterol
There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol:
- Heart-healthy lifestyle changes, which include:
- Heart-healthy eating. A heart-healthy eating plan limits the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat. Examples include the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet and the DASH Eating Plan.
- Weight Management. If you are overweight, losing weight can help lower your LDL cholesterol.
- Physical Activity. Everyone should get regular physical activity .
- Managing stress. Research has shown that chronic stress can sometimes raise your LDL cholesterol and lower your HDL cholesterol.
- Quitting smoking.Quitting smoking can raise your HDL cholesterol. Since HDL helps to remove LDL cholesterol from your arteries, having more HDL can help to lower your LDL cholesterol.
- 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 medicines 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 should continue with the lifestyle changes.
NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
What Percentage Of Adults Had Elevated Triglyceride During 20092012 And Were Differences Noted By Age And Sex
Approximately one-quarter of adults aged 20 and over had elevated triglyceride levels during 20092012 . A greater percentage of men than women had elevated triglyceride levels.
Figure 1. Age-adjusted and age-specific percentages of adults aged 20 and over with elevated triglyceride, by sex and age: United States, 20092012
1Significantly less than adults aged 4059 or 60 and over, p< 0.001.2Significantly greater than women of the same age group, p< 0.01.3Significantly greater than men aged 2039 or 60 and over, p< 0.01.4Significant increasing age trend, p< 0.001. NOTE: Elevated triglyceride is a triglyceride level greater than or equal to 150 mg/dl. SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 20092012.
This sex difference was seen in adults aged 2039 and 4059 . However, for adults aged 60 and over, no significant difference by sex was observed in the percentage with elevated triglyceride. A greater percentage of men aged 4059 than men aged 2039 or 60 and over had elevated triglyceride. For women, an increasing trend in elevated triglyceride occurred with age .
Patient Safety And Education
First and foremost, it is essential to educate individuals on a heart-healthy lifestyle. LDL-C is one of the major culprits in the development of atherosclerotic heart disease. The target level of LDL-C is between 50 to 70mg/dl to prevent plaque formation in the blood vessels. Patients should undergo evaluation for 10-year risk and those with more than 10 percent risk guidelines strongly recommend statin therapy. Low levels of HDL-C are related to an increased risk of CVD however, according to recent studies, HDL-C raising therapy showed no clinical benefit therefore, routine use is not recommended.
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How Do I Prepare For The Test
You may need to not eat or drink anything but water for 12 to 14 hours before this test. In addition, be sure your healthcare provider knows about all medicines, herbs, vitamins, and supplements you are taking. This includes medicines that dont need a prescription and any illicit drugs you may use.
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High Total Cholesterol In The United States
- Between 2015 and 2018, nearly 12% of adults age 20 and older had total cholesterol above 240 mg/dL, and about 17% had high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels below 40 mg/dL.1
- Slightly more than half of U.S. adults who could benefit from cholesterol medicine are currently taking it.2
- Nearly 94 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have total cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dL. Twenty-eight million adults in the United States have total cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL.1
- Nearly 7% of U.S. children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 have high total cholesterol.1
- High cholesterol has no symptoms, so many people dont know that their cholesterol is too high. A simple blood test can check cholesterol levels.
- Having high blood cholesterol raises the risk for heart disease, the leading cause of death, and for stroke, the fifth leading cause of death.
The map shows that concentrations of counties with the highest cholesterol prevalence meaning the top quintile are located primarily in Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Michigan, Main, South Carolina, and Kansas. Pockets of high-rate counties also were found in Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, and Washington.
Source: Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke
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What To Think About
- Chylomicrons are another type of lipoprotein that are measured in a different test. Chylomicrons are in the blood and carry fat from your intestine to your liver. They carry triglycerides to your muscles for immediate use. Or they carry triglycerides to fat tissue for storage.
- Having a high cholesterol level increases your chances of having a heart attack. The higher your cholesterol, the greater your chances. An elevated total cholesterol level in younger people is particularly significant, since the narrowing of the coronary arteries usually takes many years to develop.
- Lifestyle changes may help lower blood cholesterol levels and increase HDL cholesterol. Some people have better responses to diet and lifestyle changes than do others. Lifestyle changes might include:
- Quitting smoking.
- Eating healthier by reducing saturated fats and cholesterol in the diet while increasing fibre and complex carbohydrate.
- Losing weight. An improvement may occur if you lose as little as 2.5 kg to 5 kg .
- Being active on most, preferably all, days of the week.
High Triglycerides: Getting Help
When it comes to cholesterol and triglycerides, perhaps the most important thing is to get regular screenings.
See your doctor and get checked out. If your triglycerides are high, you and your doctor can decide on a treatment plan — and you can make a few simple but effective changes to your lifestyle.
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Whats The Difference Between Triglycerides And Cholesterol
For most of our lives, we are worked up about the presence of the other fat in our body cholesterol. Both triglycerides and cholesterol are waxy substances called lipids circulating in our bloodstream. While cholesterol build-up needs to be monitored for good heart health, triglycerides are an equally important indicator of the proper functioning of the liver and pancreas, besides the heart.
Triglycerides and cholesterol may come from the same school of lipids but they serve different purposes in our bodies. Cholesterol is made by the liver and helps in the digestion of food. They are also the building blocks of cell walls and catalyse hormone production. Triglycerides, on the other hand, are reserve fuel cells. The liver packs them with cholesterol to move it throughout the body depending on the bodys needs. This is because cholesterol by itself cannot move on its own.
Did The Trend In The Percentage With Elevated Triglyceride Differ By Sex And Weight Status Between 20012004 And 20092012
Figure 5. Age-adjusted percentage of adults aged 20 and over with elevated triglyceride, by sex and classification of body mass index: United States, 20012012
1Significant decreasing trend, p< 0.01.2Significant decreasing trend, p< 0.001. NOTE: Elevated triglyceride is a triglyceride level greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL. SOURCE: CDC/NCHS, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 20012012.
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Why The Test Is Performed
Triglycerides are usually measured together with other blood fats. Often it is done to help determine your risk of developing heart disease. A high triglyceride level may lead to atherosclerosis, which increases your risk for heart attack and stroke.
A very high triglyceride level may also cause swelling of your pancreas .
What Is Normal Triglycerides Level For A Woman
A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range: Normal Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter , or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter Borderline high 150 to 199 mg/dL
Can stress cause high triglycerides?
Studies suggest that the high levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. These are common risk factors for heart disease. This stress can also cause changes that promote the buildup of plaque deposits in the arteries.
Can teenagers have high triglycerides?
Most of your teens body fat is in the form of triglycerides. High levels of triglycerides are linked with a higher risk of heart disease. High triglyceride levels may be caused by any of these: Diabetes.
What is the average triglycerides by age?
Normal: A triglyceride level of less than 150 mg/dL. Borderline high: A triglyceride level between 150-199 mg/dL. High: A triglyceride level between 200-499 mg/dL. Very high: A triglyceride level of 500 mg/dL or higher.Table 2. For Men of Age 20 Years or Older.
| Total Cholesterol |
|---|
| 40 mg/dL or higher |
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How To Get Your Cholesterol Levels Checked
You can buy a test kit that will allow you to check your cholesterol levels at home, but they vary in how accurate they are. Kits that are approved by the FDA and say theyre traceable to a CDC program may be more accurate.
Given the lack of quality control on home health measurements like at-home testing kits, Dr. Fleg says, blood lipids should be measured by an accredited medical laboratory.
The AHA agrees, recommending that a primary care or family doctor assess blood lipid test results.
Getting an accurate cholesterol number is just one aspect of your overall cardiovascular health. You also have to understand what the number means for you personally.
Informed about your health history, family health history, and other risk factors, your doctor will be able to interpret the results better than a test kit. And by keeping track of all your cholesterol readings, your doctor will be able to catch any changes and advise you the best ways to address them.
What To Expect During A Test For Triglycerides
Your doctor can measure your triglyceride levels using a simple blood draw. The process is the same if the test is measuring your fasting or nonfasting triglyceride levels. If your doctor wants to measure your fasting triglyceride levels, they will likely instruct you to fast for a given amount of time. They may also ask you to avoid certain medications.
If the test is measuring nonfasting triglycerides, there are typically no dietary restrictions. However, your doctor may request that you avoid eating a meal thats unusually high in fat prior to the test.
If you have a history of fainting during blood draws, notify the lab technician who will be collecting your sample.
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How Often Should I Get My Cholesterol Checked
Your provider will tell you how often you need your cholesterol checked. It depends on your:
- Age: The older you get, the more often you need to have your numbers checked.
- Family history: If you have a close biological family member with a history of heart disease, you face a higher risk of heart problems, too. You may need cholesterol tests more often if your family member has high cholesterol or a history of heart attack or stroke.
- Risk factors for heart disease: If youve been diagnosed with heart disease or have risk factors, youll need cholesterol tests more often.
- Sex assigned at birth: People assigned male at birth need more frequent tests starting at a younger age compared with people assigned female at birth.
Children and teens age 19 and younger should get their first test between ages 9 and 11. Then, they should receive a test every five years. Your childs provider may recommend starting at a younger age based on family history.
Here are general guidelines for adults based on sex and age.
People assigned male at birth
| Age |
|---|
| Every year. |
What Is Bad Cholesterol
Cholesterol moves in the body combined with proteins. This combination of cholesterol and proteins is called lipoproteins. The low-density lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol is called bad cholesterol. High levels of this cholesterol increase risk for heart diseases and stroke.
When you have high levels of LDL cholesterol in the body, the LDL cholesterol can accumulate on the walls of the blood vessels forming a plaque. The continuous cholesterol build-up or a plaque narrows the inside of the blood vessels with time. The narrowed blood vessel hampers the blood supply to the concerned organ. Thus, when the plaque is present in the heart, it can cause angina or a heart attack. Plaque build-up in the brain can cause a stroke.
Another type of cholesterol is HDL cholesterol. It is also called good cholesterol as it absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver. The liver then removes the cholesterol from the body. HDL cholesterol, thus, can lower your risk for heart diseases and stroke.
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Understand Your Cholesterol Test Results
Use this page to understand your cholesterol and triglyceride results and see if they are in the healthy range.
When you have a cholesterol test, ask your healthcare professional to explain the results, so you dont have any unnecessary worry or confusion.
Its not just your total cholesterol thats important, so your results will include different types of cholesterol. If you are only given your total cholesterol, ask for a break-down of the other numbers its possible to have a healthy total cholesterol number but an unhealthy balance of the different types of cholesterol.
Ask for a print out of your results if you are not able to speak to your GP, nurse or pharmacist.
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Risk Factors And Complications
High blood triglycerides can be a risk factor for heart disease. Its unclear whether triglycerides can cause the buildup of plaque in your arteries thats associated with many types of heart disease. At extreme levels of 1,000 mg/dL or more, blood triglycerides can cause acute pancreatitis.
Elevated triglyceride levels can be a sign of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a collection of conditions that include:
- an excessively large waistline, which is defined as greater than 35 inches in women or 40 inches in men
- elevated blood pressure
- low HDL, or good cholesterol
- elevated triglycerides
Each one of these conditions carries risks and complications of its own, and all can be linked to the development of heart disease. Type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by high blood sugar and resistance to the hormone insulin, is also often associated with elevated triglycerides. Other causes of elevated triglyceride levels are:
- hypothyroidism, which is caused by a deficient thyroid gland
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Your Test Results: A Preview
Your test results will show your cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter of blood . Your total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol are among numerous factors your doctor can use to predict your lifetime or 10-year risk for a heart attack or stroke. Your doctor will also consider other risk factors, such as age, family history, smoking status, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Lipid profile or lipid panel is a blood test that will give you results for your HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and total blood cholesterol.
Watch an animation about cholesterol score.
Healthy Cholesterol Levels By Age
The recommended ranges for your cholesterol will vary based on age and gender. As people get older, cholesterol levels rise naturally. For example, people who have gone through menopause may have higher LDL and lower HDL cholesterol levels.
The following table was adapted from the Cleveland Clinic :
| Cholesterol Levels by Age: Normal, Borderline, and High | |
|---|---|
| Age/Sex | |
| Greater than or equal to 239 mg/dL | 160189 mg/dL |
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How To Lower Triglycerides Naturally
Triglycerides can be lowered without drugs. For example, they can be lowered naturally through diet changes, decreasing consumption of alcohol or sugary beverages, by increasing physical activity, by losing weight, and other ways. As little as 5% to 10% reduction in body weight may lower triglycerides. The table below summarizes how much benefit different changes can effect.
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Treatment And Next Steps
After confirming that you have elevated blood triglycerides, your doctor may suggest various options depending on the level of triglycerides in your blood and other risk factors you might have. Your doctor will likely test for other conditions that could be secondary causes of high triglyceride levels. In many cases, lifestyle and diet changes may be enough to manage the condition.
If your triglyceride levels are very high or your doctor is concerned about your risk for heart disease or other complications, they may prescribe medications such as statins. Statins can help lower blood lipid levels. Other medications called fibrates, such as gemfibrozil and fenofibrate , also have an important role in the treatment of high triglycerides.
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How To Prepare
Preparation may depend on the type of test you are having. You may or may not have to fast.
- If your doctor tells you to fast before your test, do not eat or drink anything except water for 9 to 12 hours before having your blood drawn. Usually, you are allowed to take your medicines with water the morning of the test. Fasting is not always necessary, but it may be recommended.
- Do not eat high-fat foods the night before the test.
- Do not drink alcohol or exercise strenuously before the test.
Many medicines may affect the results of this test. Be sure to tell your doctor about all the non-prescription and prescription medicines and natural health products you take.
Tell your doctor if you have had a test such as a thyroid or bone scan that uses a radioactive substance within the last 7 days.
Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form .