Lakewood, N.J. - High blood cholesterol
affects over 65 million Americans and is one of the major
risk factors for heart disease.
“Heart disease is the number one killer of women and
men in the United States,” explains Debbie Englehardt,
RN, a nurse educator with the Center for Healthy Living at
Kimball Medical Center. “Your blood cholesterol
level is affected by many factors and choices that we make
in our lives that contribute to how high or low our cholesterol
will be.”
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute,
from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there
are many common causes of high cholesterol including: age
and gender; heredity; a diet high in cholesterol or saturated
fat; obesity; and sedentary lifestyle.
Englehardt recommends the following steps to help lower
high blood cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease:
- Know your cholesterol level. Have your cholesterol
checked annually. If your cholesterol is 200 or above,
consider adopting a low-fat diet and increasing your activity
level. Pay particular attention to your LDL or your “bad
cholesterol” level and talk to your doctor about
how to reduce your numbers.
- Exercise. Studies have shown that regular exercise helps
to boost your "good" HDL cholesterol, in addition to all
of its other health benefits.
- Reduce the number of calories you consume to keep your
body weight within a normal range for your age and height.
- Limit your saturated fat intake and lower your consumption
of butter and margarine, things shown to increase your
blood cholesterol level.
- Try eating two servings a week of fatty fish because
of their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Research
has supported the cholesterol-lowering benefits of omega-3
fatty acids.
- If for any reason you feel your cholesterol is high,
consult a physician or cardiologist.
“High cholesterol poses a major health threat for
millions of Americans,” says Englehardt. “However,
there are many ways to reduce our risk factors and prevent
high cholesterol. It is never too early or too late to start
taking care of your heart. Becoming aware of your risk
factors and making healthy lifestyle changes can make a huge
impact on your heart health in the future,” she adds.
For further information regarding cholesterol or heart disease,
or to schedule an appointment with a cardiologist on staff
at Kimball Medical Center, please call the Saint Barnabas
Health Care Link at 1-888-SBHS-123 (888-724-7123).
Date: August 19, 2009
CONTACT: Carrie Cristello
Director, Public Relations
732-923-6552
ccristello@sbhcs.com
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