New Year ... Fresh Start

The Christmas season is coming to a close and new year resolutions are being made left and right.

As usual a big one for me is to eat healthier and watch my cholesterol and triglycerides. I don’t intend to beat up on myself for where I may have fallen short but instead gently remind myself about how cholesterol and triglycerides play a part in staying healthy.


The level of cholesterol in the bloodstream greatly affects the risk of developing heart disease. The higher the level of blood cholesterol the greater the risk for heart disease.


Why? Too much cholesterol in the blood builds up in the walls of arteries. With time, this buildup causes arteries to become narrow, which slows or stops the blood flow to the heart. The end result if the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off is a heart attack.



Many factors affect cholesterol levels: heredity, weight, age, diet, physical activity, and gender to name a few.

High blood cholesterol itself does not cause symptoms. You may not know your blood cholesterol level is too high. So, it’s important to have your cholesterol measured. Adults age 20 or older should have their cholesterol checked at least once every 5 years. It best to have a blood test called a lipoprotein profile. This test measures total cholesterol, "good-HDL" and "bad-LDL" cholesterol, as well as, another form of fat in the blood.

High cholesterol is treated with lifestyle changes like a heart healthy eating plan, physical activity, and weight loss. If that isn’t enough there are medications that can be prescribed that include statins, bile acid sequestrants, nicontinic acid, and fibric acids.

To learn more about high cholesterol:
A special Web page about cholesterol that explains how to lower high blood cholesterol for those who want to prevent or already have heart disease

Publications about cholesterol.

A special Aim for a Healthy Weight Web page that explains how to assess your risk for developing obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, and how to lose weight sensibly.