Putting It All Together

• More that one-half of all Americans have blood cholesterol levels that are higher than they should be.

• High blood cholesterol levels can clog blood vessels, increasing risk for heart disease and stroke.

• Many factors contribute to high blood cholesterol levels, including your genetic make-up, eating a high-fat diet, being inactivity, and being overweight. A high intake of saturated fat, or animal fat, is the main cause of high blood cholesterol levels.

• Making gradual and permanent changes in diet and lifestyle is the best way to lower cholesterol levels. These changes include following a diet that contains less than 30% of calories from fat and less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol, eating more starches and dietary fiber, being more active, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

• Try to make changes in diet and lifestyle gradually and one at a time. Start with whatever is easiest for you to change first.

• If diet and exercise changes do not bring your blood cholesterol level down to a healthy level, your physician may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication.