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Have you ever been told that your cholesterol is too high?  Too much of this waxy substance in your blood can clog blood vessels.  This reduces blood flow to the heart and brain, which can cause a heart attack or stroke.  The good news is that you can take steps to lower your cholesterol.  Here are 6 steps to taking control of your cholesterol and your health.

1. Know your numbers.  A complete cholesterol test will tell you three scores: one for HDL or “good” cholesterol, one for LDL or “bad” cholesterol, and the last for triglycerides, a type of fat that the body uses to store energy.  Healthy level should be HDL>40, LDL<100, and triglycerides<150.
2. Make food work for you.  The less cholesterol and fat you eat, the healthier your cholesterol levels will be.  Avoid fatty meats, cold cuts, creamy sauces, sweets, deep fried foods, high fat dairy products, and egg yolks.
3. Get active.  Exercise can raise your good cholesterol, lower your bad cholesterol, help blood flow better through your body, and helps you lose excess weight.  Be active most days of the week.  Exercise for at least 30 minutes per session.  The best exercises are jogging, swimming, walking, rowing, cycling and aerobics.
4. Quit smoking.  Smoking raises your cholesterol, damages your blood vessels, and makes you more at risk of heart attack and stroke.  To help you quit smoking, first, set a quit date, write it on a calendar, and stick to it.  Tell friends that you’re quitting so that they can support you.  And join a support group.
5. Work with your health provider.  You and your nurse or doctor should work as a team.  To help make your appointments with them more useful, write down any question you want to ask during the visit. Ask about anything you do not understand.  Be honest about your diet, activity and lifestyle.  And write down all instructions given to you.
6. Make the most of your medication.  While the above steps significantly improve your cholesterol, you may need extra help from medications.  These drugs can work to lower both your total cholesterol and your LDL.  When taking cholesterol medication, keep up the rest of your plan, it is still important to eat right and exercise.

Make sure to take your medications exactly as your health provider instructed.  Do not skip a dose just because you feel better or because your cholesterol scores improved.

Hence, you may need to take your cholesterol medications for a long time.  In the long run, treatment may become expensive and may lower a person’s compliance to his medications.