Main Types of Cholesterol
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often called "bad" cholesterol, helps to move cholesterol throughout your body. LDL can stick to the walls of your arteries and block them.
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol, helps to move extra cholesterol to your liver so it can be removed from your body.
- Triglycerides are a common type of fat that stores energy for the body and can elevate the risk for heart disease if your HDL is low and LDL is high. High triglycerides may also increase your risk for pancreatitis, a serious inflammation of the pancreas.
- Total cholesterol, a total of your LDL, HDL, and VLDL cholesterol values.
Total cholesterol levels over 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) may mean you have a greater chance for heart disease. Your doctor may treat you based on factors such as your cholesterol levels, your overall risk for heart disease in the next 10 years, and the risk factors you currently have for heart disease, such as:
- Being overweight or obese
- Having diabetes
- Current smoker
- High blood pressure
- Gender
- Family history
Doctors often prescribe an initial program directed towards healthy lifestyle changes when a patient without heart disease is first diagnosed with high cholesterol levels.
By closely following your diet and being more physically active, you can lower your blood lipid levels. However, factors beyond your control such as your family history may also contribute to high levels. Many patients need the help of medications plus diet and exercise to help keep their lipid levels in check.
What is a Heart-Healthy Diet?
In general, choose these options for a heart-healthy diet:
- Limit the saturated fat and trans fats you eat is an important step in your diet to lower cholesterol. Use vegetable oils high in monounsaturated fat (such as canola, olive, and safflower oil).
- Avoid hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats). FDA regulators have banned the use of artificial trans fats in processed foods. Read labels to choose sources of oils low in bad fats.
- Poultry, fish, and lean cuts of meat. Remove the skin from chicken and trim the fat from meat. Eat less organ meat (such as liver, brain, and kidney).
- The AHA recommends at least two servings of fish a week, and fatty fish (mackerel, herring, tuna, salmon, trout) with omega-3 fatty acids can help lower triglyceride levels and be healthy for the heart overall, although omega-3 fatty acids won't lower cholesterol
- Fresh fruits and vegetables without added fats, salt or sugar.
- Foods high in fiber, such as whole grain breads and cereals, oats, bran, whole wheat pasta, rice, peas and beans. Avoid white bread or pasta which is loaded with sugar but lacking in fiber. Adults should aim in consuming at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day.
- Eat fewer egg yolks as whole eggs or in prepared foods (try substituting two egg whites for each whole egg in recipes, or using an egg substitute).
- Skim milk instead of low fat or whole milk.
- Low-fat or no-fat cheeses (like low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese). Cut down on full-fat processed, natural, and hard cheeses.
- Fewer commercially prepared and processed foods made with saturated or hydrogenated fats or "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil" (like cakes, cookies, chips and crackers).
Where is saturated fat found? Foods made with saturated, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats are usually solid at room temperature. For example, you will find saturate fats in red meat, poultry skin (like turkey or chicken skin), egg yolks (not whites), lard or butter, whole milk, full fat dairy products, palm and coconut oil, desserts, snacks and sweets (especially processed snacks), and fried or fast foods. Fast food can be especially high in salt, too, worsening blood pressure.
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