High cholesterol can lead to heart disease

High blood cholesterol can cause heart trouble, but cholesterol levels can be controlled.

"Cholesterol has a variety of uses in the body that are very important," said Dr. James Cleeman of the National Institutes of Health's National Cholesterol Education Program, "but the body makes all it needs and we should keep the level of blood cholesterol down by making heart-healthy lifestyle changes."

The Framingham Heart Study, funded by NIH, first showed that the higher one's blood cholesterol, the greater one's risk for heart disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans, both women and men.

There are two forms of cholesterol in the blood—LDL and HDL. Too much LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, can build up in the walls of the arteries and form a waxy plaque. Higher levels of HDL, the "good" cholesterol, have been linked with a lower risk for heart disease.

"Where LDL cholesterol does its most harm," Cleeman said, "is in the walls of the arteries going to the heart, the coronary arteries."

Like any muscle, the heart needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by plaque, blood flow to the heart is restricted. That causes coronary heart disease. If the blood supply is cut off, it results in a heart attack.

Talk to a doctor to see if you're at increased risk for heart disease. The higher the risk, the lower the blood LDL cholesterol level should be. Some risk factors can't be controlled, like age and genetics. But everyone can control what they eat and whether they are physically active.

The TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) can help lower LDL cholesterol level. It involves three things: changing diet by lowering how much saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol is eaten, doing more physical activity and controlling weight.

Learn more about TLC at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/ heart.

If lifestyle changes don't lower LDL cholesterol enough, medication can help. "Medication should be added to lifestyle changes," Cleeman said, "not substituted for them."

NIH's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends that everyone 20 and older have their blood cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years. Know the numbers and then talk to a doctor about what can be done to lower blood cholesterol and stay healthy.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.