Cholesterol 101 Everything you need to know about reading the numbers and obtaining better health.

What is Cholesterol? How to talk the talk

Functions and Features of Cholesterol Cholesterol is a steroid of fat that helps your body carry out a variety of processes. (It’s not the kind of steroid that gives you super strength and huge health complications… just thought we’d clear that up now).

Cholesterol Steroid of mystery Some cholesterol is actually good for you. Your body produces it in order to process the food you eat. Cholesterol is also used to create cell membranes.

When Cholesterol Goes Bad It is possible to have too much of a good thing. Certain foods you eat cause your body to produce extra cholesterol. This excess cholesterol can be dangerous to your health.

Lipoproteins! Cholesterol travels through your body via your bloodstream. It is carried inside of pods of fat and protein. These pods are called lipoproteins.

Even More Lipoproteins! It’s a party in your bloodstream Lipoproteins are really just a layer of proteins that encase a layer of fat. The cholesterol is inside the fat. There are two types of lipoproteins -- high density lipoproteins and low density lipoproteins.

Meet LDL Cholesterol A cholesterol by any other name won’t cling as tight This kind of cholesterol prefers clinging to your artery walls rather than helping your body do its job. (All that clinging makes it seem a little needy).

Meet HDL Cholesterol This could be the start of a beautiful friendship HDL cholesterol moves other cholesterols to your liver. A higher count of HDL is considered desirable.

HDL vs LDL Cholesterol It’s a cholesterol eats cholesterol world HDL cholesterol transfers LDL cholesterol to the liver in order to get rid of it. The liver processes cholesterol right out of the body.

Quick Quiz -- Cholesterol-tastic! Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream in _____. * Plaque pods * Lipoproteins * Protolipids* Teeny tiny cars True or False: HDL cholesterol transfers other cholesterols from your bloodstream to your kidneys.

What’s Normal? A tale of three measurements…

Measuring Cholesterol After you turn 20, you should have your cholesterol checked at least once every 5 years. Doctors typically do a lipoprotein profile in order to check your cholesterol.

Wait! Exactly How Do You Measure It? To do a lipoprotein profile, doctors measure how many milligrams of cholesterol are in a deciliter of blood. This measurement is shortened to mg/dL.

Total Cholesterol During your lipoprotein profile, your doctor will tell you your total cholesterol level. It is best to keep your total below 200 mg/dL. A total of 240 mg/dL or more is considered high, which is extremely bad for your health.

HDL and LDL Cholesterol Levels You want to have as much HDL cholesterol as possible. Anything over 40 mg/dL is safe, but 60 mg/dL (or more!) is ideal. You want to have as little LDL cholesterol as possible. Keep your measurement below 100 mg/dL.

Quick Quiz -- Even More Cholesterol-tastic! Once you turn 20, you should have your cholesterol checked _____. * Every year* Every other year * Every five years* By a cute doctor True or false: You should have high levels of HDL cholesterol.

Are You at Risk of Developing Dangerous Cholesterol Levels? Let’s find out! (Aren’t you glad you asked?… Oh wait. DID you ask? Too late now!)

Are You at Risk of Developing High Cholesterol? Certain factors increase your risk of developing high cholesterol. They include… * Diet* Weight * Age* Gender * Heredity* Physical activity * Hair color

Wait, But How? Part One Foods that are rich in these fats raise cholesterol: –Saturated fat – animal foods: meat, dairy –Trans fat – processed fats, fried foods –Cholesterol – animal foods: organ meats, yolks If you’re overweight, it is likely that your cholesterol levels are too high.

Quick Quiz – WHERE? Name foods that are high in saturated fat? Name foods that are high in trans fat?

Wait, But How? Part Two After women go through menopause, their LDL cholesterol levels tend to increase. High cholesterol can run in families, so your genes also play a part in determining your cholesterol levels.

Wait, But How? Part Three If you don’t exercise regularly, you significantly raise your risk of getting high cholesterol. (Exercising your brain doesn’t count, btw. Your body has to work too).

Exacerbating Factors If any of the following aspects are part of your life, then you are more at risk of heart attack/stroke/other dangerous side effects of high cholesterol. * Smoking * Family history of heart disease * High blood pressure * Diabetes

Quick Quiz -- MORE Cholesterol _____ does not affect your cholesterol levels. * Age* Diet * Weight* Charm True or false: Smoking raises your risk of heart attack or stroke.

How Does Cholesterol Affect Your Health? The heart stops here

HDL Cholesterol and You A quick review, and it’s all true HDL cholesterol moves other cholesterols to the liver, where they will be processed out of the body. That action means that HDL cholesterol helps prevent heart disease and artery blockages. (It’s kind of like the hall monitor for your bloodstream).

LDL Cholesterol and Your Arteries Remember how LDL cholesterol clings to the walls of your arteries? Over time, more and more LDL cholesterol builds up along your artery walls. This cholesterol buildup is called plaque.

Plaque and Your Arteries When plaque sticks to your arteries, it hardens their walls and narrows the space that blood uses to get around the body. If a clot gets stuck in a plaque-coated artery, it can cause a heart attack or a stroke.

Other Dangers from LDL Cholesterol Some areas of plaque can have thin walls. If these walls rupture, they can cause extra blood clots to form.

Ready for the Really Scary Part? Yeah, me neither. Let’s talk about ponies! There are no symptoms associated with high cholesterol. Many people don’t know they have it until they have a heart attack.

Hope is on the Way! If you lower your “bad” cholesterol levels and increase your “good” cholesterol levels, you are much less likely to burst plaque walls or shrink arteries!

Penultimate Quick Quiz Cholesterol buildup in your arteries is called _____. * Plaque* Lipoprotein * HDL cholesterol* Bob True or false: Cholesterol buildup softens artery walls.

How to Decrease Your Cholesterol Risks No risky business here!

Adjust Your Diet Increase your consumption of fiber… * Beans* Whole grains Fruits* Vegetables These healthy options help increase HDL cholesterol and reduce LDL cholesterol.

Adjust Your Diet Decrease your consumption of… * Organ meats* Stick margarine * Lard* Egg yolks * Palm or coconut oil* Butter, whole dairy * Fatty and/or processed meat Stay away from foods that contain trans or saturated fats!

Get Some Exercise A jog a day keeps the LDL away Thirty minutes of moderate daily exercise can help reduce LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol. Start small and work your way up to more ambitious exercise goals.

Lose Weight Reducing your size will help balance your cholesterol levels and decrease your health risks. Exercising and changing your diet helps you keep your cholesterol level in check AND helps you lose weight! Talk about a win-win.

Medical Options Lifestyle adjustments are the most important things you can do to fix your cholesterol levels. However, in some cases, they aren’t enough to completely fix the problem. If that happens, your doctor can prescribe medication for you.

Cholesterol Medications Statin drugs, bile acid sequestrants, and cholesterol absorption inhibitors all help lower levels of LDL cholesterol. Fibric acids and nicotinic acids help raise HDL cholesterol levels while slightly lowering LDL levels.

Quick Quiz -- Last One! Increase your consumption of _____ to decrease your overall cholesterol. * Coconut oil* Eggs * Whole grains* Candy True or false: Medical changes are more important that lifestyle changes.

More Scary Facts about Cholesterol Just kidding… we’re done