Personal Trainers Forum

[nishpaul]

Lower Risk Of Heart Disease By Increasing Your Hdl Cholesterol Level

The best way to lower your risk of heart disease is to reduce
LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol.

Increased risk of coronary artery disease is caused by the bad
cholesterol buildup (LDL cholesterol) that forms plaques. These
plaques make arteries hard and narrow, which contributes to
coronary artery disease.

The good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) picks up excess
cholesterol in your blood and takes it back to your liver for
disposal. The higher your HDL cholesterol, the less bad
cholesterol you will have in your blood.

If you don't know your HDL level, ask your doctor for a
baseline cholesterol test. You need to think "high" when it
comes to HDL cholesterol. Most people should have an HDL level
of 60 mg/dL or above. An HDL level below 40 mg/dL increases the
risk of heart disease. If your HDL level is not within a
desirable range, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes.

Even the smallest changes to your daily habits can help you
meet your HDL target level. Review the following:

• Don't smoke. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol (remember you
want to think in terms of what will raise your HDL cholesterol
levels).

• Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight lowers HDL
cholesterol. If you are overweight, losing just a few pounds can
increase your HDL level.

• Get more physical activity. Studies have shown that regular
aerobic exercise increases HDL cholesterol. Aim for at least 30
to 60 minutes of aerobic activity on most days of the week, if
not every day. If you can't fit a long workout into your
schedule, break it up into smaller sessions spread out through
the day.

• Choose healthier fats. You need to include some fat in your
diet to be healthy. However, you must choose healthy fats and
stay away from the unhealthy choices. Use less saturated fat.
Avoid foods that contain trans fat. This includes most
margarine, most commercial baked products and anything with
partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Monounsaturated fat found
in olive, peanut and canola oils is a healthier choice. Nuts,
fish and other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids are other
good choices.

• Drink alcohol in moderation. If you already drink some
alcohol red wine has been linked with higher levels of HDL
cholesterol in some studies. The benefits are not strong enough
to recommend red wine to people who do not drink already. If you
already drink alcohol, drink in moderation, no more than one
drink per day for women and one to two drinks per day for men.
There are some medications used to lower LDL cholesterol that
may also increase HDL cholesterol. These medications include:

• Niacin
• Fibrates (Lopid and others)
• Stains (Lipitor, Zocor and others)

Researchers continue to study for other medications. In the
meanwhile, lifestyle changes will help you to achieve an optimal
HDL level. If your doctor prescribes a medication to help
control your cholesterol, take it as directed while you
incorporate healthy lifestyle habits into your daily routine as
well.