High Cholesterol Can be Life-Threatening, the Good News is That It Can be Lowered

Happauge, NY, September 24, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Having high blood cholesterol is a leading risk for heart disease, and one of every 6 adult Americans has high blood cholesterol.

September is National Cholesterol Education Month, and the Nurse Practitioners Association of Long Island (NPALI) in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control recommends residents across Long Island get their blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high.

National Cholesterol Education Month is also a good time to learn about lipid profiles and about food and lifestyle choices that maintain a healthy level of cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body and many foods. Your body needs cholesterol to function normally and makes all that you need. Too much cholesterol can build up in your arteries. Over time, cholesterol deposits, called plaque, can narrow the arteries and allow less blood to pass through. When plaque totally blocks an artery carrying blood to the heart, a heart attack occurs.

Many people do not know that their cholesterol levels are too high. However, your health care provider can order a simple blood test to check it. The test is called a lipid profile, which is a group of tests that are often ordered together to determine risk of coronary heart disease or stroke. The lipid profile typically includes total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C, or good cholesterol), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, or bad cholesterol) and triglycerides.

If the profile shows high cholesterol, the good news is that it can be lowered to reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke. This is achieved by making lifestyle changes. This includes regular exercise, losing weight if overweight, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish, avoiding saturated and trans fats, and limiting overall cholesterol intake to less than 300 milligrams per day. People with high cholesterol who smoke will have to “kick the habit.”

“I advise my patients to reduce portion sizes, and make healthy food choices,” said Debra Chalmers, an adult nurse practitioner. “I ask my patients to select lean cuts of meat, fish or poultry. In addition, I advise my patients to avoid anything white, including bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. Instead, I tell them to choose brown, such as whole grains, oatmeal along with colorful vegetables, fruits and leafy greens.”

If healthy eating and exercise don't work to lower the cholesterol level, the NPALI suggests that medicine, such as statins, resins, fibrates or niacin, be used along with the life style changes.

While it is good news that high cholesterol can be treated, it is even better news that it can be prevented. The formula for preventing high cholesterol is similar to treating it. The NPALI recommends exercising regularly; losing weight if overweight; eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish; avoiding saturated and trans fats and of course getting your blood levels of cholesterol checked each year if you are 40 or older.

Based in Hauppauge, NY, the Nurse Practitioner Association of Long Island (NPALI) is a chapter of the Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State. NPALI was formed in 1980, and works in concert with the state organization for the purpose of uniting, representing, and advocating for the profession.

Nurse practitioners (NPs) are registered nurses who are prepared, through advanced education and clinical training, to provide a wide range of preventive and acute health care services to individuals of all ages. NPs complete graduate-level education preparation that leads to a master’s degree. NPs take health histories and provide complete physical examinations; diagnose and treat many common acute and chronic problems; interpret laboratory results and X-rays; prescribe and manage medications and other therapies; provide health teaching and supportive counseling with an emphasis on prevention of illness and health maintenance; and refer patients to other health professionals as needed. NPs are authorized to practice across the nation and have prescriptive privileges, of varying degrees, in 49 states. The most recent Health Resources and Services Administration Sample Survey report (2008) shows 158,348 Nurse Practitioners in the United States, an increase of more than 12 percent over 2004 data. The actual number of nurse practitioners in 2006 is estimated to be at least 145,000.

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