Fact: One in three adults in the U.S. has high cholesterol, which can affect anyone at any age, and can negatively impact heart health and cardiovascular function over time. People with high cholesterol have a higher risk of developing heart disease compared to those with optimal levels. Among the culprits are genetics and diet. Some people are predisposed to high cholesterol and produce more of it in the liver, while others get too much from the foods they eat - foods such as bacon, hot dogs, and sausages that also contain high amounts saturated fat. These foods may sit well on your palate, but without proper measures to control intake and reduce body cholesterol levels, they can lead to some major health challenges.
-A 10% reduction of LDL ("bad") cholesterol equates to a 10%-20% decrease in
heart disease risk.
-If you eat foods such as pizza, hamburgers, and steak on a regular basis, you may be increasing your chances for developing high cholesterol.
-The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming no more than 300 mg of cholesterol a day; those with heart disease should consume less than 200 mg of cholesterol.
-According to the AHA, eating one egg for breakfast, drinking two cups of coffee with 1 tablespoon of half-and-half each, lunching on 4 ounces of lean skinless turkey breast with one tablespoon of mayonnaise, and eating a 6-ounce serving of broiled short loin porterhouse steak for dinner yields 510 mg of dietary cholesterol. That's nearly twice the recommended daily amount!
-Men tend to have higher cholesterol than women. However, after menopause, cholesterol levels in women increase due to a decline in estrogen production.
Not all cholesterol is bad. The good kind - HDL cholesterol, short for high-density lipoproteins - offers some great health benefits. It's the LDL ("bad") cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein ones, that we really need to watch out for. In general, cholesterol - a type of fat - plays a role in maintaining cell membrane structure and hormone production. However, excess LDL cholesterol can build up in the arteries, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.