Cholesterol

Presented By: Megan Weltmeyer

Objectives
Define Cholesterol Determine why cholesterol is important Understand your risk for high cholesterol

Symptoms, diagnosis, and monitoring

Prevention and treatment

What is Cholesterol?
Waxy substance Produced by our bodies and found in food

Risk Factors
Coronary Heart Disease Heart Attack Stroke

The GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY

HDL=GOOD LDL=BAD

Triglycerides=
UGLY

LDL=BAD
Builds up in the arteries Stops blood flow

Forms plaque
Leads to atherosclerosis

Can cause a heart attack or stroke

HDL=GOOD
High levels protect against heart attacks Low levels increase your risk of heart disease

Triglycerides
Form of fat in the body May raise your risk for heart attacks or strokes

High blood glucose levels and alcohol raise your triglyceride levels
Eat fewer sweets

Drink less alcohol

How is your cholesterol?

Cholesterol Screening
Total Cholesterol HDL LDL Triglycerides

Get your cholesterol checked every 5 years

You may need to have your cholesterol checked more often than every five years if one or more of these situations applies to you:
Your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL or more. You are a man over age 45 or a woman over age 50. Your HDL (good) cholesterol is less than 40 mg/dL. You have other risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

Total Cholesterol Level

Less than 200
Desirable level that puts you at lower risk for coronary heart disease. A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher raises your risk.

200 to 239
Borderline high

240 and above

High blood cholesterol. A person with this level has more than twice the risk of coronary heart disease as someone whose cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL.

Factors Affecting Your Cholesterol Level

Age Gender

Family History
Diet High Blood Pressure Diabetes Smoking

Healthy Targets
Total Cholesterol
200 or lower

HDL
Men, 40 or higher Women, 50 or higher

LDL
Lower than 100

Triglycerides
Lower than 150

Cholesterol Can Be Controlled

Lifestyle Changes Knowing your fats

Cooking for lower cholesterol

Understanding drug therapy options

Lifestyle Changes
1. Eat a heart-healthy diet 2. Get moving 3. Avoid tobacco smoke

Heart Healthy Diet

Eat This
Vegetables Fruits

Limit That
Saturated Fat Trans Fat

Lean meats and poultry

Fiber rich whole grains Fish 2X 1% Dairy products

Cholesterol
Sodium Added Sugars

Get Moving!
Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week. Start with 30 minutes a day.

Avoid Smoking

Knowing Your Fats 1. Saturated Fat

2. Unsaturated fat
3. Trans Fat

Saturated Fat
beef beef fat veal lamb pork butter cream milk cheeses and other dairy products made from whole and 2 percent milk.

lard
poultry fat

coconut, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil (often called tropical oils), and cocoa butter.

Unsaturated Fat
1. Polyunsaturated fats 2. Monounsaturated fats salmon trout herring walnuts liquid vegetable oils such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower.

avocados
olives

Trans Fats
beef pork lamb butterfat in butter and milk. baked goods pastries pies muffins doughnuts fried foods

cakes
cookies crackers

shortening and some margarines and dairy products.

Choose Unsaturated Fats

The more saturated and trans fats you eat, the more cholesterol your body makes.

Cooking Tips
Choose white meat most often when eating poultry. Remove the skin from chicken or turkey, before cooking. Limit processed meats to none or no more than two servings per week. Examples of processed meats include sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs. Organ meats such as liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain are very high in cholesterol. If you're on a cholesterol-lowering diet, eat them only occasionally. Select lean or extra lean ground beef.

Trim all visible fat from meat before cooking.

Select lean cuts of meat with minimal visible fat. Lean beef cuts include the round, chuck, sirloin or loin. Lean pork cuts include the tenderloin or loin chop, while lean lamb cuts come from the leg, arm and loin.

Misconceptions

Using margarine instead of butter will help lower my cholesterol.

Both margarine and butter are high in fat, so use both in moderation. From a dietary perspective, the major factor affecting blood cholesterol is how much saturated fat and trans fat is in the food. Remember that one change like switching from butter to soft margarine is a good step, but may not be enough to reduce your cholesterol to healthy levels.

Since the nutrition label on my favorite food says there's no cholesterol, I can be sure that it's a heart-healthy choice.
Many low-cholesterol foods contain high levels of saturated fat and/or trans fat both of which contribute to high blood cholesterol.

Even foods that claim to be low-fat may have a higher fat content than expected. Look for the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and total calories in a serving of the product. Also check how much a serving is. The first ingredient listed is the one used most in the product, so choose products where fats and oils appear later in the ingredient listing.

Since I started taking medication for my high cholesterol, I don't have to worry about what I eat.
Drug therapy is usually prescribed for those who despite adequate dietary changes, regular physical activity and weight loss still have elevated levels of cholesterol, or those who have elevated risks for heart disease and stroke. But making diet and lifestyle changes as well as taking the medication your doctor prescribes is the best way to help prevent heart disease.