Managing Your Cholesterol

Managing cholesterol levels can lower the risk for heart disease — the leading cause of death in the United States. There are two types of cholesterol circulating in the blood: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or "good cholesterol," and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad cholesterol."

Cholesterol levels are specific to each person; your doctor can help determine a range that is right for you based on your medical history. In general, you want you HDL level to be greater than 40 milligrams per deciliter. Conversely, you want your LDL level to be less than 130 per deciliter. A total cholesterol level below 200 milligrams per deciliter is considered desirable.

There are a few strategies to manage LDL, triglycerides — also know as blood fats — and HDL levels, according to Dr. Jeanie Chung, an internal medicine physician at Sharp Rees-Stealy La Mesa.

  • Exercise 30 minutes per day to raise HDL and lower triglyceride levels
  • Manage your weight to reduce the risk for heart disease, control your cholesterol, boost your HDL and lower triglyceride and LDL levels
  • Restrict dietary cholesterol to 200 milligrams a day to keep your LDL in check
  • To boost HDL and lower LDL, substitute poly- and monounsaturated fats — such as canola, sunflower and olive oils — for saturated fat found mostly in butter and other animal foods, and try to avoid trans fats, which are artificial fats commonly found in processed foods
  • To help control your LDL, eat at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day, particularly water-soluble fiber, which can be found in oats and barley

mySharp makes it easy to track lab test results like cholesterol. Sharp Rees-Stealy patients can view select lab results once they have been reviewed by their doctor, including viewing the normal range for a particular test. Learn more and sign up for a free mySharp account today!

For More Information
Learn more about reducing your risk of heart disease and improving your overall health at our Healthy Hearts class. During this two-session series, you will learn how to modify recipes; control blood pressure and cholesterol; and make heart-healthy choices while dining out and grocery shopping. Register online or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277).