Prevention & Treatment of High Cholesterol
Cheese, Please—But Make It Low-Fat: Your Friendly Guide to Managing Cholesterol
Here’s the tricky thing about high cholesterol: it usually doesn’t announce itself. You can feel perfectly healthy and still have cholesterol levels that need attention. The good news? A simple blood test can check your levels, and realistic changes to your daily habits can help protect your heart. For some people, medication is an important part of treatment, too.
What Is High Cholesterol, Anyway?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance your body needs to build cells and make certain hormones. But too much LDL, often called “bad” cholesterol, can contribute to plaque buildup inside your arteries. Plaque can narrow arteries and reduce blood flow. If plaque breaks open, a blood clot can form and block blood flow to the heart or brain, causing a heart attack or some types of strokes. Your eating habits matter, but they are only part of the picture. Inherited genes, certain health conditions, and some medications can also affect cholesterol levels. Even people who eat well and stay active can have high cholesterol.
Know Which Fats Affect Cholesterol
Managing cholesterol doesn’t mean avoiding all fat. The type of fat matters. Eating too much saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol. Replacing it with unsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, and fish, can support heart health.
Foods to choose less often include:
- Fatty meats: Marbled steaks, ribs, and regular ground beef.
- Processed meats: Bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and some lunch meats.
- Full-fat dairy: Whole milk, butter, cream, ice cream, and regular cheese.
- Some fried foods: Saturated fat content depends on the food and the oil used.
- Some baked goods and snacks: Pastries, cookies, and crackers made with butter, palm oil, or coconut oil can contain substantial saturated fat.
Compare Nutrition Facts labels and pay attention to serving sizes. An occasional treat can fit into a heart-healthy eating plan. Your overall eating pattern matters more than any single meal.
Swap, Don’t Stop: Easy Food Substitutions
No total kitchen makeover required. Start with a few simple trades:
- Milk: Switch from whole milk to 1% or skim.
- Cheese: Try reduced-fat or part-skim cheese, such as part-skim mozzarella, and keep portions reasonable.
- Sour cream: Try plain nonfat Greek yogurt on baked potatoes or tacos.
- Butter: Use olive or canola oil for cooking.
- Ground beef: Choose extra-lean beef or lean ground turkey breast. Check the label, since not all ground turkey is lower in saturated fat.
- Meat-heavy meals: Replace some of the meat in chili, soups, or tacos with beans or lentils.
- Frying: Bake, grill, or air-fry with a small amount of unsaturated oil instead of deep-frying.
Add fiber-rich foods, too. Soluble fiber, found in oatmeal, beans, lentils, apples, and pears, can help lower LDL cholesterol. A variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also supports heart health.
Symptoms: The Silent Problem
Most people with high cholesterol have no symptoms. You can feel fine and still have levels that increase your risk for heart disease.
A cholesterol panel, also called a lipid panel, checks:
- LDL cholesterol: Often called “bad” cholesterol because elevated levels contribute to plaque buildup.
- HDL cholesterol: Often called “good” cholesterol because it helps carry cholesterol back to the liver for removal.
- Triglycerides: A type of fat in your blood.
- Total cholesterol: A measure of the overall amount of cholesterol in your blood.
Your provider considers these results along with your age, blood pressure, medical history, family history, and other risk factors.
Ask your primary care provider whether it’s time to check your cholesterol. How often you need testing depends on your health history, risk factors, and whether you are receiving treatment. Not everyone needs testing every year.
How Cholesterol Affects Your Health
High LDL cholesterol can contribute to problems throughout your blood vessels:
- Heart disease: Plaque in the arteries supplying the heart can cause chest pain or a heart attack.
- Certain types of stroke: Plaque and blood clots can interfere with blood flow to the brain.
- Circulation problems: Narrowed arteries can reduce blood flow to the legs and feet.
Diabetes, high blood pressure, and smoking can further increase cardiovascular risk when combined with high cholesterol.
If you have had a heart attack or certain types of strokes, managing LDL cholesterol is an important part of reducing the risk of another cardiovascular event. Your provider will recommend treatment based on your diagnosis and overall health.
Your Cholesterol Questions, Answered
How is high cholesterol treated?
Treatment includes heart-healthy eating, regular physical activity, and avoiding tobacco. Depending on your cholesterol levels, medical history, and overall risk, your provider may recommend cholesterol-lowering medication along with these habits. Some people need medication from the beginning of treatment.
I’m young and feel healthy. Do I really need a test?
Feeling healthy doesn’t tell you your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol can affect younger people, especially when it runs in families. Your provider can recommend when to begin testing and how often to repeat it.
Can I still eat cheese?
Yes! Try lower-fat versions, compare saturated fat amounts on labels, and keep portions reasonable. Cheese can fit into an overall heart-healthy eating plan.
Help at Culbertson Memorial Hospital
You don’t have to figure this out alone. Culbertson Memorial Hospital in Rushville offers services to help you understand your risk and make practical changes.
Cholesterol Testing and Heart Evaluation
Culbertson offers laboratory testing, including cholesterol panels, and other cardiovascular diagnostic services. Your primary care provider can recommend testing based on your symptoms, health history, and risk factors.
Other heart tests, such as an ECG/EKG, echocardiogram, stress test, or cardiac CT, answer different questions about heart health. They do not measure cholesterol and are not needed by everyone with high cholesterol.
Schedule an appointment with your primary care provider today, or if you are looking for a provider, Culbertson Clinic Providers are currently accepting new patients: Learn more online or call 217-323-2245.
Personalized Nutrition Counseling
Registered dietitian Katie Horstmeyer, RD, LDN, provides outpatient nutrition consultations at Culbertson. Counseling can help patients manage high cholesterol, heart disease, and other health concerns. Katie can help you understand food labels, adjust favorite recipes, sort through nutrition misinformation, and develop an eating plan based on your habits, lab results, and goals.
Consultations are available each Wednesday by provider referral or contact Patient Registration at (217) 322-4321, ext. 5271. To learn more about nutrition consultations please visit our landing page.
Ready to Love Your Heart a Little More?
Start with one conversation and one simple swap. Ask your primary care provider whether you’re due for cholesterol testing and whether nutrition counseling could help.
Your heart works hard for you every day. Let Culbertson help you return the favor.