Imagine this: a middle-aged woman walking her dog in the park on a summer day. The setting seams idyllic; the birds are chirping and she is happy. Then, bam! Suddenly she is on the ground, clutching her chest in pain.
High cholesterol has no signs or symptoms until the end, when you are suddenly a victim of chest pain, heart attack, heart failure or stroke. It paints a nasty picture, but one that is all too realistic. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every six adults in the United States has high cholesterol, with more women than men suffering from it. Those with high cholesterol levels have twice the risk of heart disease than those with normal cholesterol levels.
While there are no signs or symptoms for high cholesterol, there are a number of steps that can be taken to prevent high cholesterol. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, cholesterol -- a fatty substance that is found in your body and many foods -- has both good and bad versions. Keeping your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels down is what will help you keep heart disease and other deadly conditions in check.
First and foremost, have a doctor perform a blood test that will measure your cholesterol levels. If your blood test comes back positive for high cholesterol, you will need to treat it. Treatments may include prescription medication, as well as lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes such as exercising and eating a healthy diet can help prevent and reduce high cholesterol. Also, eating fiber will help weed out foods high in saturated fat and bad cholesterol, as well as avoiding carbohydrates and drinking too much alcohol.
Women, especially as they get older, are at a high risk of having high cholesterol. Just a few simple lifestyle changes can help prevent cholesterol from blocking your arteries and save your life.
