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National Cholesterol Awareness Month: Your questions about cholesterol answered

Answering your questions about cholesterol: Is all cholesterol bad? Why does high cholesterol affect your heart and brain?
Credit: ThitareeSarmkasat via Thinkstock

September is National Cholesterol Awareness Month.

Below are some frequently asked questions about cholesterol and the link to heart disease and stroke.

What is cholesterol and why is it important?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is made by your liver and found in your food. Foods that are high in saturated fats (like animal products, butter, and dairy foods) and trans fat (like cookies, crackers, microwave popcorn, margarine and certain types of oils) can increase your bad cholesterol in the blood.

When cholesterol levels increase, this can lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries and cause the blood vessels to narrow called atherosclerosis. Over time, this can lead to heart attacks and strokes as the blood vessels narrow.

What are the different types of cholesterol?

There are three different types of cholesterol:

  • HDL: High density lipoprotein is the “good” cholesterol that helps the body get rid of bad cholesterols.
  • LDL: Low density lipoprotein is the “bad” cholesterol which can clog up arteries and cause heart attacks and strokes. Saturated and trans fats in food can increase your LDL levels.
  • Triglycerides: This is the most common form of fat in the blood. Triglycerides can go up if you smoke, eat too many carbohydrates, are overweight, don’t exercise or drink too much alcohol.

Should people know their cholesterol numbers?

  • It’s not about the numbers as much as it is really understanding your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association has tools on making good food choices, as well as understanding what your risk factors for heart disease are and how you can help modify that risk.
  • Cholesterol levels should be checked in adults every 4-6 years.
  • Know your family history. Did anyone die of heart disease or stroke at a young age? Do you have other first-degree relatives who have very high cholesterol levels? It may be a genetic condition that is passed down.

How is high cholesterol treated?

Lifestyle is the first treatment. Make sure you are watching your saturated and trans fat intake. Get the recommended exercise of at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week. Treat high cholesterol as a disease which affects the entire family.

It’s never too early to teach your children, or too late to teach elders, about how to modify their lifestyle. Medications such as statins and others are available to help you manage and treat your cholesterol.

Follow 9NEWS Medical Expert Dr. Comilla Sasson on Facebook and Twitter. Have a question for Dr. Comilla? Email her at c.sasson@9news.com.

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