There are methods people can use to reduce cholesterol levels and prevent them from increasing. One potential method is using therapeutic lifestyle changes TLC , which includes diet, exercise, and weight management. Another option is drug therapies that either lower cholesterol or reduce the absorption of cholesterol. At any age, diets low in saturated fats and trans fats and high in soluble fibers and protein are good for lowering cholesterol buildup. The TLC diet is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan.
People following it should have a daily intake of less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat and less than milligrams of dietary cholesterol. The TLC diet encourages people to eat the following foods:. Additionally, the TLC diet suggests only taking in enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and avoid weight gain.
Various books on the TLC diet are available to purchase online , and may help those interested in following the diet plan to lower cholesterol. Proper weight management is another essential part of lowering cholesterol and preventing it building up. Overweight people who reduce their weight can help lower LDL in the process.
Regular physical activity of 30 minutes on most days is recommended for everyone. This will also help with weight management, which in turn helps with lowering cholesterol. When these steps are not enough, drug treatment may also be needed.
There are several types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available, including:. The best treatment to lower cholesterol levels involves a range of different methods, including lifestyle and diet.
Ultimately, a doctor is the best person to talk to in order to figure out the best way for a person to lower bad cholesterol levels. Ceramides are fatty molecules health experts associate with heart disease. A review argues scientists should focus on designing drugs to lower….
People can lower their cholesterol levels by making lasting changes to their diet and lifestyle. Learn more. Familial hypercholesterolemia FH is an inherited condition that can cause a person to have high levels of LDL, or 'bad', cholesterol.
Learn more…. Ask your doctor or nurse what your levels should be. Page last reviewed: 15 April Next review due: 15 April Cholesterol levels - High cholesterol Contents What is high cholesterol? According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute NHLBI , a person's first cholesterol screening should occur between the ages of 9 and 11 and then be repeated every five years after that.
The NHLBI recommends that cholesterol screenings occur every 1 to 2 years for men ages 45 to 65 and for women ages 55 to People over 65 should receive cholesterol tests annually. More-frequent testing might be needed if your initial test results were abnormal or if you already have coronary artery disease, you're taking cholesterol-lowering medications or you're at higher risk of coronary artery disease because you:. People undergoing treatment for high cholesterol require regular cholesterol testing to monitor the effectiveness of their treatments.
There's little risk in getting a cholesterol test. You might have soreness or tenderness around the site where your blood is drawn. Rarely, the site can become infected. You're generally required to fast, consuming no food or liquids other than water, for nine to 12 hours before the test. Some cholesterol tests don't require fasting, so follow your doctor's instructions. A cholesterol test is a blood test, usually done in the morning if you fast overnight.
Blood is drawn from a vein, usually from your arm. Before the needle is inserted, the puncture site is cleaned with antiseptic and an elastic band is wrapped around your upper arm. This causes the veins in your arm to fill with blood. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood is collected into a vial or syringe. The band is then removed to restore circulation, and blood continues to flow into the vial.
Once enough blood is collected, the needle is removed and the puncture site is covered with a bandage. There are no precautions you need to take after your cholesterol test. You should be able to drive yourself home and do all your normal activities.
If you've been fasting, you might want to bring a snack to eat after your cholesterol test is done.
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