{"id":3091,"date":"2023-02-15T01:26:07","date_gmt":"2023-02-14T14:26:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/2023\/02\/15\/best-ways-to-reduce-cholesterol\/"},"modified":"2024-02-15T10:09:00","modified_gmt":"2024-02-14T23:09:00","slug":"best-ways-to-reduce-cholesterol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/health-hub\/best-ways-to-reduce-cholesterol\/","title":{"rendered":"Best way to reduce cholesterol"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An important way of keeping cholesterol levels in range is to have a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle is made up of many different things, all of which are equally important as they directly impact one another.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, lowering cholesterol involves doing the following consistently;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating a healthy and balanced diet<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Doing regular exercise<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limiting alcohol consumption<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In some cases, taking medication prescribed by your doctor\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reducing cholesterol is important because there are many health risks associated with high cholesterol including angina (a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart), heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease (<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a blood circulation disorder that causes the blood vessels outside of your heart and brain to narrow, block, or spasm)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, if you have any existing health conditions, high levels of bad cholesterol can make them worse, as the cholesterol can build up and prevent\u00a0 organs such as the brain and heart from getting enough blood and oxygen to function properly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is high cholesterol?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High cholesterol is a condition where someone has a lot of low density lipoprotein, also known as LDL or \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol, increasing their risk of heart disease and blood vessel disease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that is produced by the liver in order to build and repair cells, as well as produce hormones. There are two types of cholesterol; one being good and one being bad.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High density lipoprotein (HDL) is considered good cholesterol, as it stops bad cholesterol from building up by transporting it to the liver to be removed from the body.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is considered bad cholesterol, as it leads to fatty deposits (plaque) that build up in the bloodstream and cause health complications if left unchecked.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the causes of high cholesterol?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High cholesterol is caused by a number of factors, including;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating a lot of foods containing unhealthy saturated and trans fats (e.g. processed meat, full fat dairy products, coconut and palm oil, deep-fried takeaway foods, commercial baked goods, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating little to no foods containing healthy fats that increase HDL (e.g. avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, cooking oils made from plants or seeds, fish, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting little to no fibre in your diet from foods such as vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Fibre, particularly soluble fibre, helps reduce LDL in your blood.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting low levels of activity and exercise.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carrying excess weight or having too much body fat around your midsection.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoking, especially smoking daily.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Genetics. If you have a family history of high cholesterol, there\u2019s a significant chance that you might have high cholesterol.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are there symptoms of high cholesterol?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many Australians don\u2019t know that they have high cholesterol because there are no symptoms and the only way to diagnose it with certainty is through a blood test from your doctor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are health complications that come from high cholesterol that have their own symptoms; such as shortness of breath and chest pain from angina, or leg pain from peripheral vascular disease. However, don\u2019t wait for these symptoms to appear before you talk to your doctor about high cholesterol.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How is high cholesterol diagnosed?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To effectively diagnose high cholesterol, your doctor will order a blood test called a lipid profile. Lipid profiles measure total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol as well as triglycerides (another type of fat that appears in the blood).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your doctor will ask you to fast (not eat) and only drink water for about 10 hours before the test.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How often should I have my cholesterol checked?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your doctor will order a lipid profile if they want to assess your risk of developing heart disease. However, it is recommended that everyone over the age of 45 (30 for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people) gets a lipid profile every 5 years in order to stay on top of their cholesterol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have multiple risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure or diabetes, you will need to take a lipid test more regularly. However, that is something you need to discuss with your doctor.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are some general healthy eating\u00a0 recommendations for reducing cholesterol?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A varied and healthy diet plays an important role in reducing bad cholesterol. To stay healthy,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eat more plant based foods (e.g. vegetables, legumes, fruit, wholegrains, nuts and seeds)<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Include legumes and beans in at least two meals per week<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Replace fatty meats with lentils or tofu<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eat more whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, rice and noodles<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Snack on plain, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use spreads with healthy unsaturated fats such as avocado, nut butters, tahini and oils such as canola, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When cooking, use healthy oils such as canola, sunflower, soybean, olive (extra virgin is a good choice), sesame and peanut oils<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eat fish two to three times a week (150g fresh or 100g tinned)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limit the amount of eggs you eat to a maximum of 7 each week<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose unflavoured, reduced fat dairy products<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, if you need further help with your diet, you can talk to your doctor and\/or a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dietitiansaustralia.org.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dietitian<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What other ways are there to treat high cholesterol?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating a healthy diet is only one way to help to reduce\u00a0 high cholesterol. In addition to healthy eating, there are a few other ways to also help to reduce high cholesterol.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regular physical activity<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Exercise is a great way to increase levels of HDL cholesterol, especially vigorous aerobic exercise. This may also help you reduce any excess weight, particularly body fat around your waist area.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s never too late to start exercising; and if you\u2019re new to exercise or you haven\u2019t exercised in a while, start slow and gradually build up to the recommended amount of physical activity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is recommended that;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People aged 18-64 years\u00a0 do 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People aged 65 years and over\u00a0 aim for a total of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moderate intensity exercise is exercise that increases your heart rate and breathing, but isn\u2019t too strenuous that you can\u2019t talk. Vigorous intensity exercise increases your heart rate and makes your breathing more heavy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also aim to do resistance training and muscle toning exercises twice a week. This involves using weights, resistance bands or your own body weight. Doing these types of exercises is a good way to increase your HDL levels.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quit smoking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smoking has several negative health effects, such as;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reducing your HDL cholesterol<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speeding up the rate at which fatty plaques form in the walls of your arteries<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increases the likelihood of your blood clotting<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stopping smoking is one of the best ways to improve your heart and blood vessel health. To quit smoking, you can;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk to your doctor<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quit.org.au\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quitline<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on <\/span><a href=\"tel:137848\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">137848<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or use their online chat service (there is also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.quit.org.au\/resources\/aboriginal-communities\/what-aboriginal-quitline\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aboriginal Quitline<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Limit drinking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Drinking alcohol regularly also has negative health effects, such as;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increasing the amount of triglycerides in your blood<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increasing your blood pressure<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding to your weight (alcoholic drinks can be high in kilojoule count)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is recommended that you limit your intake to no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 drinks per day.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Medications<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Talk to your doctor about whether or not you require medication to help reduce your cholesterol (in addition to living a healthy lifestyle). The most common form of medication that a doctor will prescribe for this are tablets known as statins.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Statins reduce cholesterol production in the liver. Your liver responds to this deficit by using the cholesterol already in your blood, which lowers your overall LDL cholesterol.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are unsure about any changes you need to make in order to effectively reduce your cholesterol, talk to your doctor. They can use your medical history to help you to decide on a plan that will work for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em> <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">program help me reduce cholesterol?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em> <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">program can help!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> <em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> program is a free healthy lifestyle program that helps you improve your eating habits, increase your physical activity and manage stress. You can choose from a group course or the telephone health coaching service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our experienced health professionals will help you make small changes to your lifestyle so that you can achieve your health goals and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>Life!<\/em><\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is funded by the Victorian government and managed by Diabetes Victoria. You can check your eligibility for the program <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/learn-about-life\/#am-i-eligible\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"button teal\" href=\"#health-check\">Take the health check<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sources<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/how-to-lower-cholesterol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/how-to-lower-cholesterol<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au\/health\/conditionsandtreatments\/cholesterol-healthy-eating-tips\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au\/health\/conditionsandtreatments\/cholesterol-healthy-eating-tips<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/how-to-lower-cholesterol\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/how-to-lower-cholesterol<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/cholesterol-and-lipid-tests\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.healthdirect.gov.au\/cholesterol-and-lipid-tests<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dietitiansaustralia.org.au\/working-dietetics\/credentialing-dietitians\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/dietitiansaustralia.org.au\/working-dietetics\/credentialing-dietitians<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Reviewers<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/elleni-kaias\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elleni Kaias<\/a>, Accredited Practicing Dietitian | Primary Care Engagement Lead<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/kristie-cocotis\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kristie Cocotis<\/a>, Head of Prevention and Health Promotion<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/sarah-dub%C3%A9-57861660\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sarah <\/a><span class=\"TextRun SCXW248055663 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-AU\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW248055663 BCX0\">Dub\u00e9, Strategy and Engagement Lead<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/au.linkedin.com\/in\/ria-cheripuram\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ria Cheripuram<\/a>, Digital Communications Officer<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/au.linkedin.com\/in\/tegankohlman\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tegan Kohlman<\/a>, Communications and Social Marketing Officer<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An important way of keeping cholesterol levels in range is to have a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle is made up of many different things, all of which are equally important as they directly impact one another. For example, lowering cholesterol involves doing the following consistently; Eating a healthy and balanced diet Doing regular exercise Limiting alcohol consumption In some&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3091","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3091","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3091"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3091\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3727,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3091\/revisions\/3727"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3091"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3091"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeprogram.org.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3091"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}