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High cholesterol

• More information on high cholesterol in English
• Más recursos en español (Additional resources in Spanish)

Cholesterol (koh-LESS-tur-ol) is a waxy, fatlike substance found in all parts of the body. It comes from two sources: your body and the food you eat. Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. Eating too much cholesterol, which comes from animal foods like meats, whole milk dairy products, and egg yolks, can make your cholesterol go up. Being overweight and lack of physical activity also can make cholesterol go up. Too much cholesterol in the blood blocks it from flowing easily through your body. The higher your cholesterol, the more likely you are to get heart disease. Triglycerides (treye-GLIH-suh-ryds) are another kind of blood fat that travels with cholesterol. Too high levels also can raise heart disease risk.

High cholesterol has no symptoms. Everyone 20 and older should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years. Ask your doctor how often you should have your cholesterol levels checked.

Women need to know their cholesterol levels and what they mean. Your total cholesterol level actually comes from two different types of cholesterol: HDL and LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is "good." It helps protect your heart. So, you want to keep it high — above 40 md/dL. But LDL cholesterol is really bad for your heart. So, you want to keep it low — below 130 mg/dL. You have borderline high cholesterol if the total is 200–239 md/dL. You have dangerously high cholesterol if the total is 240 md/dL or more. A triglyceride level greater than 150mg/dL is considered high.

Many Latinas have total cholesterol levels that are high. If you find out your levels are high, take these steps:

• Keep a healthy weight.
• Eat healthy. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Limit fats, especially saturated fats and trans fats. Eat chicken, turkey, and lean meats. Avoid organ meats, egg yolks, whole milk dairy products, fats like butter or lard, and packaged or processed foods. Limit sodium (salt).
• Make physical activity a habit. Health benefits are gained by doing the following each week:
  • 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity
    or
    
  • A combination of moderate and vigorous aerobic activity
    and
    
  • Muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week
• If needed, take medicines to lower cholesterol as prescribed by your doctor.
• Don't smoke. If you smoke, try to quit. For help along the way, check out our Quitting Smoking section.

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More information on high cholesterol in English

Explore other publications and websites

• High Blood Cholesterol — This website describes the basic facts about high blood cholesterol, including what it is, what causes it, the symptoms, and the treatments.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbc/HBC_WhatIs.html
• High Blood Cholesterol — What You Need to Know — This publication is based on clinical guidelines for cholesterol testing and management. It will help you find out what your cholesterol numbers mean and what treatment your doctor may prescribe to help lower your cholesterol level. The brochure also includes a tool to estimate the risk of having a heart attack and outlines ways to reduce risk.
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/wyntk.htm
• Low-Cholesterol Recipes (Copyright © American Heart Association) — Discover how easy it is to avoid excess saturated fat and cholesterol while enjoying mouth-watering foods. These recipes and more are found in the American Heart Association Low-Fat, Low-Cholesterol Cookbook.
  http://americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3049153
• National Cholesterol Education Month — This website provides information about cholesterol awareness month and links to information that may be helpful to the general public and community health educators alike. It includes information about high cholesterol and what can been done to increase awareness of its risks.
  http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/cholmonth/
• What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean (Copyright © American Heart Association) — This fact sheet discusses the health risks of having high cholesterol. It defines what high risk levels are and what your LDL level should be.
  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/What-Your-Cholesterol-Levels-Mean_UCM_305562_Article.jsp

Connect with other organizations

• American Heart Association
  http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/
• CDC's WISEWOMAN — Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation
  http://www.cdc.gov/wisewoman/
• Heart Truth
  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/educational/hearttruth/
• WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease
  http://www.womenheart.org/

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Más recursos en español (Additional resources in Spanish)

Content last updated May 18, 2010.

Resources last updated May 18, 2010.

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