Test Your Knowledge
Circle T for true and F for false.
1. All people age 20 and older should get their cholesterol tested. T F

2. Lowering LDL cholesterol is the main goal to reduce heart risks. T F

3. Saturated fat and trans fats do more harm to cholesterol levels than mono- or polyunsaturated fats. T F

4. Exercise raises good cholesterol levels. T F

Check Your Answers
1. True. In fact, experts say everyone age 20 and older should get a cholesterol test every five years.

2. True. People who have heart disease should aim to bring their LDL below 100 mg/dL. The same is true for anyone who is at high risk of heart disease. This includes people with diabetes or multiple risk factors, such as smoking and high blood pressure.

Lifestyle choices, such as eating a smart diet and losing excess weight, are key to lowering LDL cholesterol. But some people also need prescription medicines, such as statins, to reach their target.

3. True. Both saturated fat and trans fats boost levels of LDL cholesterol. But unsaturated fats do not.

Saturated fat is found in foods such as meat, butter, and cheese. People with heart disease or a high risk of heart disease should limit their intake of saturated fat to less than 7 percent of their total daily calories. Healthy people are advised to keep saturated fat to less than 10 percent of daily calories.

Trans fats are found in many margarines and shortenings. Besides increasing LDL cholesterol, trans fats also lower good HDL cholesterol. When shopping, pick margarines that contain the least amount of trans fats. These are usually soft varieties that list liquid vegetable oil as the first ingredient.

4. True. Keeping the good HDL cholesterol above 40 mg/dL is important to minimize heart risks. Exercise performed at a moderate to hard intensity for 30 minutes three times a week can help do this. It also can lower LDL cholesterol.