What You Need to Know about Your Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs. But when you
have too much in your blood, it can build up on the walls of your arteries and
form blockages. This can lead to heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Two out of three adults have high
cholesterol, or high LDL “bad” cholesterol. Screening is the key to detecting
high cholesterol because it does not have symptoms. As a result, many people
don’t know that their cholesterol is too high. The National Cholesterol
Education Program (NCEP) recommends that adults aged 20 years or older have
their cholesterol checked every 5 years.
You can prevent or control high
cholesterol by changing your lifestyle, eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet, and
being physically active more days of the week. Here are some tips from the
NCEP:
- Eat a healthy diet that is low in salt, total fat and cholesterol and rich in fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Take at least 1 brisk 10-minute walk, three times a day, 5 days a week.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Don’t smoke. If you smoke, quit as soon as possible.
To reduce your risk for heart disease or
to keep your risk low, it is very important to control any other risk factors
you may have, such as high blood pressure and smoking.
PMG Research is currently enrolling several
clinical research studies for people with high cholesterol, with and without
heart disease. If you would like to learn more about our studies, visit our
website or click through the following links:
Sources:
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)
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