Be Heart Smart Keep Cholesterol in Check

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Cholesterol affects your health in important ways. Your body needs some, but too much can cause fat deposits in the arteries, paving the way for heart disease and other problems.

Lifestyle choices can lower heart disease risk. These tips will help you prevent or control unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Seek foods low in saturated fat. Avoid foods high in saturated fat, such as foods that are from animals.
Choose foods low in dietary cholesterol. Limit your intake of animal products, such as egg yolks and liver.
Dive into an exercise routine. Get 30 minutes a day of moderate exercise on most days. This raises HDL levels and lowers LDL levels.
Keep a healthy weight or lose weight if needed. Just a little weight loss in overweight people will lower LDL cholesterol levels while boosting HDL cholesterol levels.

Western Baptist Hospital’s 55Plus® program wants to help you keep your heart healthy. We’ll be providing free cholesterol screenings at area senior citizen centers throughout March and April. For a detailed list, please see Upcoming.