COLORADO, USA — In the state of Colorado — where the population ranks as one of the healthiest in the nation — 75 percent of people screened at a 9Health Fair in the spring of 2019 had high LDL (bad) cholesterol which is one of the indicators for heart disease.
Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States and affects 71 million Americans or 33.5 percent. High cholesterol has no symptoms, so many people don’t know that their cholesterol is too high.
Nearly 40,000 people got screened at 9Health Fairs in the spring to uncover their risk for many critical health issues, including heart disease, or to monitor the effectiveness of their lipid lowering therapies and lifestyle.
If you don’t know your LDL, you can get tested at your provider’s office, many labs, or at a 9Health Fair — a community non-profit offering convenient one-stop health checks at locations across Colorado's Front Range this fall.
People with high cholesterol have about twice the risk of heart disease as people with lower levels. Lowering your cholesterol can reduce your risk of having a heart attack, needing heart bypass surgery or angioplasty, and dying of heart disease.
While the chances of having high cholesterol seem high, lowering your cholesterol is quite likely with lifestyle changes and in some cases medications. Once you know your numbers, you can work with your health care provider to create a plan if needed.
Some people have higher risk for heart disease and therefore may need to pay closer attention to their cholesterol numbers. Take a quick quiz to assess your risk of heart disease.
Risk factors for high cholesterol:
- Cigarette smoking
- High blood pressure (140/90 mmHg* or higher or being on blood pressure medication)
- Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL)
- Family history of early heart disease (diagnosed in father or brother before age 55; diagnosed in mother or sister before age 65)
- Age (45 or older for men; 55 or older for women)
- Eating a diet high in saturated fat found in some processed foods, high-fat meats or dairy
- Being overweight or obese
- Not exercising enough
- Having diabetes
Register online for 9Health Fair or find another location near you.
9Health Fair locations this weekend:
- Ethiopian Evangelical Church
10/26/2019
9AM - 1PM
445 South Lansing St, Aurora, 80012 - Redeemer Temple
10/26/2019
8AM - 12PM
3701 W. 64th Ave, Arvada, 80003 - Silverthorne Pavilion
10/27/2019
11AM - 3PM
400 Blue River Pkwy, Silverthorne, 80498
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Colorado Guide