Having high levels of cholesterol in the blood increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. A heart attack is caused by blockages in the blood vessels, or arteries, that nourish the heart muscle. A stroke is caused by small blood vessels in the brain that become blocked or leak. The risk of having a heart attack or stroke is reduced by lowering blood cholesterol.

Ways to lower your cholesterol include:

• adding exercise to your lifestyle

• eating foods low in fat and cholesterol

• losing excess weight and

• cholesterol lowering medicines

Exercise controls weight, lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress. Aerobic activities work best for this and include activities like walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, skating, or aerobic exercise classes. Doing an aerobic activity 30 minutes a day, three or four times a week can raise the level of the 'good' cholesterol, called HDL. HDL cholesterol actually helps clear away 'bad' cholesterol from the blood vessels.

A low cholesterol diet should include no more than 300 milligrams per day of cholesterol. Egg yolks and organ meats, such as liver, are high in cholesterol. One egg yoke has about 215 milligrams of cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in foods rich in animal fat. High cholesterol foods include meat, poultry, seafood, and dairy products. Shrimp and shellfish are relatively high in cholesterol. Chicken or turkey may not contain as much fat as does lean beef or pork, but they do contain about the same amount of cholesterol. Foods from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, grains, cereals, nuts and seeds, do not contain cholesterol.

Make sure the foods you eat are low in saturated fat. It is the saturated fat in food that has the greatest effect on your blood cholesterol level. The body uses saturated fat to make more cholesterol. Coconut oil and palm oil are mostly saturated fat, as are animal fats. Saturated fat is easy to recognize because it is usually solid at room temperature. The American Heart Association suggests that consumption of saturated fat be less than 10 percent of the day's total calories.

Some people are not able to lower their blood cholesterol level enough by changing their diet. These people may need treatment with a drug to lower cholesterol, and a lowfat diet may prevent it from rising.

For more information, contact your local chapter of the American Heart Association or call (800) 242-8721.

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