1. National Cholesterol Education Month
S e p t e m b e r

2. What is Cholesterol?
Blood cholesterol is a waxy, fat- like substance made by your liver.
Essential for:
Making hormones
Digesting fatty foods
Dietary cholesterol sources:
Red meat
Seafood
Poultry
Eggs
Dairy products

3. Knowing your labs
Your Health Care Provider and Human Performance team can test your cholesterol!
A cholesterol test checks your levels of:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol leads to plaque buildup in your arteries
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) or “good” cholesterol can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood that your body uses for energy.
Total cholesterol is the total amount of cholesterol in your blood.
Tested
Desirable Reading
Total cholesterol
Less than 200 mg/dL
LDL cholesterol
Less than 100 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol
Greater than 50 mg/dL
Triglycerides
Less than 150 mg/dL

4. Knowing your risk
Your risk for having high cholesterol may be increased if you:
Eat a diet high in saturated fat and trans fat
Do not get enough physical activity (150 minutes of moderate activity per week) 
Smoke. Smoking damages your blood vessels and may lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
Have a family history of high cholesterol
Have an inherited genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH)

5. Prevention & management
Eating a heart-healthy diet:
Reduce saturated fat and trans fat (limit your intake of fried food, red meat and dairy products made with whole milk.
Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish and nuts.
Becoming more physically active:
Strive for150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week. Moderate-intensity exercise can include brisk walking, swimming, bicycling and dancing.
Quitting smoking:
Smoking lowers HDL (good) cholesterol.
By quitting, smokers can lower their cholesterol levels and help protect their arteries.
Losing weight:
Losing excess weight via healthier behavior change can improve your cholesterol levels.

6. High Cholesterol & Heart Disease
Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque clogs your arteries, possibly causing a heart attack, stroke, gangrene or tissue death.
About 610,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the most common type of heart disease, killing over 370,000 people annually.
Every year about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack.