In a classroom at the Senior Center in Fort
Collins, building contractor Jim Dixon, 59, goes through a heart health
questionnaire with Cheri Nichols, a registered nurse with the Health
District of Northern Larimer County. Has he or anyone in his family had
heart disease, high cholesterol or diabetes? Has he fasted for 12 hours?
Dixon wants to know if his cholesterol levels have improved. His last
cholesterol screening indicated he could be at risk for heart disease or
stroke.
Too much cholesterol causes plaque to build up in your arteries, which can
lead to heart disease. Only a screening can tell if your cholesterol is
too high.
Nichols cleans one of Dixon’s fingers, pricks it, collects a small amount
of blood in a glass tube and inserts the sample into a machine that
measures the types of cholesterol in a person’s blood.
“We can’t feel when our cholesterol is a problem,” says Nichols. “That’s
why it’s important to be tested at a young age, so you can adopt
heart-healthy eating habits that can help prevent plaque buildup.”
Genes may influence your heart disease risk and cholesterol levels, but
cholesterol can vary significantly from sibling to sibling and from child
to parents.
“There’s also variability in how much a person can lower his cholesterol
by adopting lifestyle and nutrition,” Nichols continues. “Some people have
great success, and others cannot easily lower their cholesterol to an
acceptable level unless they take medication. It’s best to keep an open
mind about treatment approaches and partner with your doctor on these
health decisions.”
Understanding your cholesterol numbers will help you know your health
risks, so you can make changes aimed at lowering those risks.
When Dixon’s numbers appear, Nichols writes them on a “Lipid Profile” form
he will take home with him. The numbers show specifically what he needs to
work on.
Five numbers come into play: total cholesterol, HDL (good cholesterol),
LDL (bad cholesterol), triglycerides, and the ratio of HDL cholesterol to
total cholesterol. The form shows desirable ranges for each of these
substances and alerts to those numbers that fall outside these ranges.
Because people with diabetes have a higher risk for heart disease, a blood
sugar (glucose) screening test for diabetes is also included in the
procedure.
In recent years, Dixon has made small changes in his diet, and he’s
pleased to see his numbers are better. Overall, his heart disease risk is
low.
His LDL level has improved the most, well below the threshold that would
trigger his physician to bring up the issue of medication, but it’s still
not in the “optimal” range. Nichols suggests eating more soluble fiber
each day, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes, as a
good nutritional strategy to lower LDL cholesterol. She goes over other
ways he can reduce his risks.
Dixon leaves with an easy-to-understand health information packet
containing facts about cholesterol and suggestions for tasty nutrition
choices that are also heart-healthy. |
| Cholesterol
Facts What is it?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance vital to the body. Too much
cholesterol buildup on artery walls, however, increases risk of blood
clots, heart attack and stroke.
Cholesterol screening
A “fasting lipoprotein profile” — more commonly known as a cholesterol
test — is an easily accessed, widely understood and reliable screening
test for heart disease.
When to screen
- The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends an initial
screening at age 20 and every five years thereafter, or more
frequently if you have a high risk for heart disease.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends screening of children
and adolescents with a family history of high cholesterol or heart
disease, or who have other risk factors for heart disease, including
obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes.
Achieving healthy cholesterol levels
- Eat less saturated fat and trans fat. Eat more fruits, vegetables,
beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds; omega-3 fatty acids (found in
certain fish); and mono-unsaturated fats (found in olive and canola
oils, nuts and avocados).
- Stanols and sterols (natural substances found in fruits and vegetables
and as supplements).
- Cholesterol-lowering medications, if recommended
by a doctor.
- Physical activity: 30 to 60 minutes four times a
week or more.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
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