To manage high cholesterol effectively, you can take several lifestyle and dietary steps, and if needed, use medication under medical guidance:
Lifestyle Changes
- Exercise regularly: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week or vigorous aerobic activity for 20 minutes three times a week. Physical activity raises HDL (good) cholesterol and helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Quit smoking: Stopping smoking improves HDL cholesterol quickly and reduces heart disease risk
- Maintain a healthy weight: Losing excess weight can lower cholesterol levels and improve heart health
Dietary Adjustments
- Eat heart-healthy foods: Focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. These foods are high in soluble fiber, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol
- Increase soluble fiber intake: Foods like oats, barley, apples, citrus fruits, and legumes contain soluble fiber that prevents cholesterol absorption
- Use healthy fats: Replace saturated and trans fats (found in butter, lard, and fatty meats) with unsaturated fats from vegetable oils (canola, sunflower), nuts, and fatty fish
- Eat fatty fish: Consuming fish like salmon, tuna, or mackerel two to three times a week provides omega-3 fatty acids, which lower triglycerides and may improve cholesterol profile
- Limit alcohol: Drink in moderation-up to one drink per day for women and two for men-to avoid raising blood pressure and triglycerides
- Reduce sodium intake: While salt doesn't lower cholesterol, limiting sodium helps reduce blood pressure, lowering overall heart disease risk
Medications
- If lifestyle changes are insufficient, doctors may prescribe medications such as statins, bile acid sequestrants, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors, or fibrates to lower cholesterol levels
In summary, combining a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy weight forms the foundation of managing high cholesterol. Medications may be necessary if these measures do not achieve target cholesterol levels
