answersLogoWhite

0

What are some resources to use in understanding cholesterol?

Updated: 8/21/2019
User Avatar

Zanbabe

Lvl 1
6y ago

Best Answer

When you are first diagnosed with high cholesterol, there can be a lot of worry, and a lot of jargon. If you are lucky, your doctor gave you a handout so you can do some online exploration. But often, doctors bandy about terms like HDL, LDL and Triglycerides and diseases like Atherosclerosis very quickly, and it can be overwhelming. The following are online, reliable resources and reference tools so you can take your time and learn about cholesterol. Each section contains references to detailed yet understandable information about topics like cholesterol in general, health risk factors, interpreting cholesterol test results, nutrition guidelines, and a list of top 5 foods that can help lower cholesterol.

Cholesterol Overview

The American Heart Association has a very good cholesterol overview, written in "regular-person" speak. It explains that cholesterol in and of itself is not bad and is produced both by our bodies and from the foods we eat. Scrolling through this article, you will find an explanation of "good" and "bad" cholesterol, and there is even an animation if you really want to get a visual of what cholesterol is and how it works in your body.

Risk Factors

The Mayo Clinic is another excellent online source for reliable, easy-to-understand cholesterol information. If your doctor spoke with you about risk factors, you may want to review this list detailing seven conditions which, when combined with high cholesterol, elevate Heart disease risk. You may already know that obesity, poor diet and a family history of heart disease elevate heart disease risk, but did you know that lack of exercise and obesity are also risk factors?

Interpreting Test Results

If your doctor prescribed a fasting blood test, you probably had a "lipid panel" or "lipid profile" cholesterol test. You likely know the "total cholesterol" goal is at or under that "magic 200" figure, but what about those HDL and LDL numbers, and triglycerides? What are the target levels for each of those? The Mayo Clinic site offers an excellent reference page that explains the targets for each key cholesterol measure.

Nutrition - Cholesterol Guidelines

A low-fat diet is something your doctor likely mentioned as part of a cholesterol-lowering lifestyle change, but what does that mean, exactly? What is the difference between total fat, trans fat and all those other fats? How much dietary fat is OK, anyway? And what about protein, carbohydrates and dietary cholesterol -- how do these factor in, and what levels should one target as part of a cholesterol-watching diet? The Cleveland Clinic's Nutrition-Cholesterol Guidelines article is a terrific resource that both explains each of these nutritional elements and gives a target for daily consumption. And there's a handy chart that summarizes it all in one place.

Top 5 Foods To Lower Cholesterol

Overall nutritional guidelines are important, but can be hard to put into practice. If the nutrition chart works for you, great. But if that's too much information, check out the Mayo Clinic's list of Top 5 Foods that can help lower cholesterol. Along with exercise and other healthy habits, the Mayo Clinic list includes: 1) high-fiber foods like oatmeal and oat bran, 2) fish or other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, 3) nuts, like almonds and walnuts, 4) olive oil, and 5) foods or supplements containing plant sterols. More on this list -- including examples of foods in each of these 5 categories -- can be found on the Mayo Clinic site.

Tip

Ask your doctor for a copy of your cholesterol blood tests, and keep them in a folder or online file. You'll want to keep track of your own cholesterol results as it's likely you'll have a cholesterol test every six months or at least annually. The numbers are important -- and surprisingly easy to forget.

There's a lot of uncertainty and jargon to cope with when you are diagnosed with high cholesterol. These medically reliable, online resources can provide key information about high cholesterol, and provide the tools and facts you need to plan a course of action with your doctor.

User Avatar

Wiki User

6y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: What are some resources to use in understanding cholesterol?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

What guide do you use to reduce your cholesterol?

TLC has a great guide for reducing one's cholesterol that includes understanding cholesterol levels and how to lower them, then becoming physically active and following a healthy meal plan.


Can you name some medicine use for cholesterol problems?

Lipitor.


Does a low cholesterol diet limit your use of salt?

A low cholesterol diet probably limits your use of salt as some things that are high in cholesterol usually have a high amount of salt in them and you would need to avoid these.


Is knowing how to use the library resources an important component of academic writing?

Yes, definitely! If you don't have a good understanding of how to use the various information resources available at the library, then you will have a difficult time finding the information you need. While some resources may be simple and straightforward to use, many are not; even if they appear to be easy to use, there's still a good chance that there are tools and methods of using the resource that a user isn't aware of. Other resources can be challenging to use, and require at least some level of instruction before they can be tackled.


Why do scientist use the rock cycle?

It helps in the understanding of natural processes, and is an invaluable tool in the exploration and discovery of valuable Natural Resources.


What is business basic?

business basic is the understanding and use of technologies and resources in pursing fundemental business principles and practises


What are some things to do to lower cholesterol ?

There are many simple things you can try to reduce your cholesterol. This website provides a quick starting guide that you can use: http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/11-tips-to-cut-your-cholesterol-fast


What are some resources that you can use to research?

bibliography


The physical and mental labor that people use to produce goods and services are called?

Human Resources (Understanding Business, chapter 10)


How does Canada use their natural resources?

They use some of their natural resources for food.


What are some examples of scarcity in the economy?

scarcity is when you use up all of natural resources and capital resources plus human resoures. so if we use up all of our resources we will have no resources to create anything. gas will not be a factor shelter would not be a factor.all of the resources will be use up.


What are some examples of foods high in HDL cholesterol?

HDL cholesterol is also known as the "healthy" cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is known as "bad" cholesterol. Many essential fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol. Foods that help raise HDL cholesterol are nuts, nut butters, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocados.