Observed in September each year, National Cholesterol Education Month is designed to shine a spotlight on the importance of cholesterol monitoring and cholesterol management among Americans. And for patients looking to maintain or improve their physical well-being, it makes the month a perfect time to focus on heart health — and to know their cholesterol levels.
So, to kick the month off right, let’s take a close look at cholesterol, what it is and why it can be important to your overall health.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by the liver that is found in all the body’s cells. Dietary cholesterol is also found in animal-derived food products such as meat, dairy products and eggs. When present in the right amounts, it is beneficial to the body and its processes in a range of ways. Among them, it serves as a building block for cell membranes, aids in the digestion of fatty foods, and helps the body make hormones, bile and vitamin D.
Cholesterol is carried in the blood and to cells throughout the body by small, round particles called lipoproteins, which are composed of fats (also known as lipids or triglycerides) and proteins. There are two types of lipoproteins (commonly referred to as the two types of cholesterol) found in the body:
- Low-density lipoprotein — also known as LDL cholesterol or the “bad” cholesterol
- High-density lipoprotein — also known as HDL cholesterol or the “good” cholesterol
When there’s too much LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood, it can lead to a buildup of fatty deposits called plaque in the arteries and increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other harmful issues. High levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol in the body, on the other hand, can reduce one’s risk of these same health issues by carrying cholesterol and plaque to the liver, where they are broken down and flushed out of the body.
Why cholesterol matters
As outlined above, cholesterol can be an asset in the body. But when there’s too much of it in the blood, cholesterol can raise your risk for heart disease — the nation’s leading cause of death — along with other harmful health conditions such as diabetes and stroke. For this reason, and especially as patients grow older, it’s important to undergo regular cholesterol tests to keep an eye on the cholesterol levels in the blood and ensure that they don’t climb too high.
How to check your cholesterol levels
To monitor the levels of cholesterol in the body, healthcare providers perform blood tests known as lipid panels or lipid profiles that check the levels of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the bloodstream. The amounts of each are measured, and if the levels are of concern, lifestyle changes (including eating a healthy diet and exercising) and/or medications such as statins (which disrupt the liver’s ability to produce cholesterol) can be implemented to help the patient reach and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), for many patients, cholesterol screening is an important part of monitoring heart health throughout life. This is especially the case for patients with high cholesterol risks such as a family history of high cholesterol, heart attack and/or stroke. And regardless of risk factors, screening is recommended every one to two years for all men starting at age 45 and for all women starting at age 55, then annually for men and women starting at age 65.
Managing cholesterol through diet and exercise
Patients whose blood tests raise concerns can also lower cholesterol naturally with aerobic exercise and a heart-healthy diet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s recommended that adults get at least 180 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise such as brisk walking or cycling each week. And some of the recommended foods to lower cholesterol include:
- Foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat, salt and added sugars, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seafood, lean meats, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt
- Foods that are naturally high in soluble fiber such as oatmeal, oat bran, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears
- Foods containing unsaturated fats (eaten in moderation) such as avocados, nuts, fish and vegetable oils
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Special thanks to Kristin Johnston Ballard, MSN, DNP-BC — Family Medine for contributing to this article. To learn more about Kristin, please visit her bio page