Why Worry about Raised Cholesterol Levels?
High blood levels of cholesterol are a risk factor for coronary artery disease (heart attacks and angina). If your cholesterol level is 6.5 mmol/L or greater your risk of heart disease is about 4 times greater than that of a person with a cholesterol level of 4 mmol/L. Heart disease usually takes 60-70 years to develop, but if you discover your cholesterol level is high you should see your doctor soon, preferably within the next 2-3 months. What To Do The most effective way to lower your cholesterol is to reduce the amount of animal fat (ie. saturated fat) in your diet. You can do this by: * reducing cheese intake and/or substitute low fat varieties * choosing reduced fat milks * substituting polyunsaturated margarine for butter * choosing lean cuts of meat and remove all visible fat * eating skinless chicken, fish or beans * making cakes at home with polyunsaturated fat, * cooking chips with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oil * losing weight if overweight. * beware of pies, pastie
