Managing Your Cholesterol

More and more Americans are working to prevent heart problems by detecting high cholesterol and lowering it. Those efforts appear to be paying off: between 2006 and 2010, the percentage of Americans with coronary artery disease the cause of nearly all heart attacks fell by 10%. Yet despite this decline, cardiovascular disease still is the No. 1 cause of death for men and women in the United States. One in every six adult Americans has high cholesterol, making them about twice as likely to develop heart disease as those with lower cholesterol. On the plus side, high cholesterol is something you can change. How? Healthy dietary choices and regular exercise are among the most effective weapons in the fight against high cholesterol. Medications can also help. Managing Your Cholesterol, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School, offers up-to-date information to help you, or a loved one, keep cholesterol in check. The report spells out healthy and unhealthy cholesterol levels, and offers specific ways to keep cholesterol in line. The report covers cholesterol tests and the genetics of cholesterol. The report also focuses on treatments based on the latest scientific evidence, including the pros and cons of statins and other medications, and provides the lowdown on other substances advertised to lower cholesterol. Managing Your Cholesterol can also help you work with your doctor to individualize your treatment.