Cholesterol

High blood cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart disease.  It’s a pretty simple equation: high blood cholesterol = high risk of heart disease and stroke.  

When there’s too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up in your arteries, which causes blood flow to slow or even block (which is a major problem if you’re fond of having a heartbeat).  High blood cholesterol is tricky: there aren’t any symptoms... many guys don’t even know they have it.

LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, is known as "bad" cholesterol because it can narrow the walls of your arteries by increasing the amount of plaques deposited.  HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is known as "good" cholesterol because it can decrease the amount of plaque that gets deposited. Cholesterol blood tests generally measure LDL, HDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides (a type of fat that increases with consumption of sugar and alcohol). It’s important to get your number checked so you know if you’re at risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol levels can be improved by drug treatment and lifestyle changes:

• Limit foods that contain high amounts of saturated fats (eg: baked goods), animal fats (eg: red meat, high fat dairy products), and trans-fats
• Decrease or stop smoking—it increases LDL (bad) cholesterol
• Increase the amount of physical activity you do—try taking the stairs or walking to the grocery store—and decrease the amount of time you spend sitting

High Blood Cholesterol: What you need to know