Download Cholesterol Poster

CONTROL
Your Cholesterol
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., killing
nearly twice as many people as cancer does. Unhealthy levels of blood
cholesterol are directly linked to heart disease. There are some heart disease
risk factors you can’t do anything about– but you can do a lot about your cholesterol level. Since
there are no signs and symptoms of high cholesterol, have your cholesterol checked regularly!
Get Your
Follow Dietary
and Lifestyle
Cholesterol
Recommendations Checked
The American Heart Association recommends that
you keep your intake of total fat to less than 35%,
saturated fat to less than 7%, and trans fat to less
than 1% of your total daily calories. Limit your intake
of cholesterol from food to less than 300 mg per day.
People with high LDL blood cholesterol levels or who
are taking a blood cholesterol-lowering medication
should eat less than 200 mg of cholesterol per day.
What are the major
risk factors that can’t
be changed?
• Increasing age
• Male sex (gender)
• Heredity (including Race)
Total blood cholesterol is measured in
milligrams per deciliter of blood
(mg/dL). It’s the most common
measurement of blood cholesterol.
Your doctor must interpret your
cholesterol numbers based on other risk
factors such as age, family history,
smoking and high blood pressure.
Make sure a reputable company does
the screening and that you share the
screening results with your healthcare
professional.
What’s the Difference Between
LDL and HDL Cholesterol?
Tobacco smoke
High blood cholesterol
High blood pressure
Physical inactivity
Obesity and overweight
Diabetes mellitu
ones don’t is the first step in lowering your risk of heart
disease. Saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary
cholesterol raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated
fats and polyunsaturated fats don’t.
When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in
the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other
substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries
Saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high
blood cholesterol. The American Heart Association
recommends that you limit your saturated fat intake to
7-10 percent of total calories (or less) each day. If you
have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol
level is 100 mg/dL or greater, your doctor should
recommend the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) Diet.
It recommends 25-35 percent of calories from fat, with
less than 7 percent coming from saturated fat.
Cholesterol is limited to less than 200 milligrams a day.
Saturated fat is found mostly in foods from animals and
some plants.
Why is HDL cholesterol considered “good”?
HDL cholesterol is known as the “good” cholesterol because a high
level of it seems to protect against heart attack. Medical experts think
that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to
the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe that
HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaque in arteries, thus slowing
the buildup.
1. Exercise! Regular physical
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Know
your fats
Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which
Why is LDL cholesterol considered “bad”?
6 Great Ways to
Control Your Cholesterol
What are the major
risk factors you can
modify, treat or control
by changing your
lifestyle or taking
medicine?
What Are Healthy
Levels of Cholesterol?
YOUR TOTAL BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVEL
Desirable – Less than 200 mg/dL
Borderline high risk – 200-239 mg/dL
High risk – 240 mg/dL and over
activity can raise HDL and lower
LDL levels, especially if you are overweight. Aim for at least 30 minutes of
moderate activity on most days of the week. Exercise also reduces stress.
2. Eat just enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
3. Reduce all fats in your diet, particularly saturated and trans fats.
Saturated fats are found in meat, butter, and cheese. Trans fats are
found in hydrogenated vegetable oils, margarines, snack foods, and
commercial baked goods.
4. Substitute artery-friendly fats such as olive or canola oil. Sterolenriched spreads contain natural compounds that block the body's
absorption of cholesterol. Eat fish for heart-healthy omega-3 fats.
5. Eat more fiber- fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
the
6. Don’t smoke.
solutions
group
Hydrogenated fats - During food processing, fats
may undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation.
This is common in margarine and shortening. These
fats also raise blood cholesterol. Use hydrogenated fats
only if they contain no more than two grams of
saturated fat per tablespoon. The saturated fat content
of most margarines and spreads is printed on the
package or Nutrition Facts label.
Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats
are the two unsaturated fats. They’re found primarily in
oils from plants.
Polyunsaturated fats - These include safflower, sesame
and sunflower seeds, corn and soybeans, many nuts
and seeds, and their oils.
Monounsaturated fats - These include canola, olive
and peanut oils, and avocados.
Both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may
help lower your blood cholesterol level when you use
them in place of saturated fats in your diet. But a
moderate intake of all types of fat is best. Use
polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils - and
margarines and spreads made from them - in limited
amounts. This is recommended in place of using fats
with a high saturated fat content, such as butter, lard or
hydrogenated shortenings.