How to Prevent High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs in small amounts. Your liver makes all the cholesterol that your body needs.

Having high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) increases your risk for heart disease and stroke. Extra (excess) cholesterol comes from the food you eat, such as animal-based fat (saturated fat) from meat and some dairy products.

High cholesterol can often be prevented with diet and lifestyle changes. If you already have high cholesterol, you can control it with diet and lifestyle changes, as well as medicine.

What nutrition changes can be made?

• Eat less saturated fat. Foods that contain saturated fat include red meat and some dairy products.
• Avoid processed meats, like bacon and lunch meats.
• Avoid trans fats, which are found in margarine and some baked goods.
• Avoid foods and beverages that have added sugars.
• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Choose healthy sources of protein, such as fish, poultry, and nuts.
• Choose healthy sources of fat, such as:
  • Nuts.
  • Vegetable oils, especially olive oil.
  • Fish that have healthy fats (omega-3 fatty acids), such as mackerel or salmon.

What lifestyle changes can be made?

• Lose weight if you are overweight. Losing 5–10 lb (2.3–4.5 kg) can help prevent or control high cholesterol and reduce your risk for diabetes and high blood pressure. Ask your health care provider to help you with a diet and exercise plan to safely lose weight.
• Get enough exercise. Do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.
  • You could do this in short exercise sessions several times a day, or you could do longer exercise sessions a few times a week. For example, you could take a brisk 10-minute walk or bike ride, 3 times a day, for 5 days a week.
• Do not smoke. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Limit your alcohol intake. If you drink alcohol, limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day for nonpregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.

Why are these changes important?

If you have high cholesterol, deposits (plaques) may build up on the walls of your blood vessels. Plaques make the arteries narrower and stiffer, which can restrict or block blood flow and cause blood clots to form. This greatly increases your risk for heart attack and stroke. Making diet and lifestyle changes can reduce your risk for these life-threatening conditions.

What can I do to lower my risk?

• Manage your risk factors for high cholesterol. Talk with your health care provider about all of your risk factors and how to lower your risk.
• Manage other conditions that you have, such as diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension).
• Have your cholesterol checked at regular intervals.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

How is this treated?

In addition to diet and lifestyle changes, your health care provider may recommend medicines to help lower cholesterol, such as a medicine to reduce the amount of cholesterol made in your liver. You may need medicine if:

• Diet and lifestyle changes do not lower your cholesterol enough.
• You have high cholesterol and other risk factors for heart disease or stroke.

Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider.

Where to find more information

• American Heart Association: www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/Cholesterol_UCM_001089_SubHomePage.jsp  
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/resources/heart/heart-cholesterol-hbc-what-html  

Summary

• High cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease and stroke. By keeping your cholesterol level low, you can reduce your risk for these conditions.
• Diet and lifestyle changes are the most important steps in preventing high cholesterol.
• Work with your health care provider to manage your risk factors, and have your blood tested regularly.