September is National Cholesterol Education Month Published Aug. 30, 2007 By Lt. Col. Tod Miller 72nd Medical Group, Health Care Integrator TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Sadly, many people don't know what their cholesterol level is. Unfortunately, here at Tinker Air Force Base, high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia) is the leading disease processed among our beneficiaries. If you are between the ages of 40-65 and do not know your own cholesterol levels, request a lipid panel (cholesterol test) from your provider at your first opportunity. Do not be fooled into thinking high cholesterol cannot affect you. That could be a fatal mistake. High blood cholesterol can affect anyone. Hyperlipidemia is a serious condition that increases the risk for heart disease and is the No. 1 killer of Americans, both men and women. The higher your blood cholesterol level, the greater your risk. But on a more positive note, it's great to know that everyone can take steps to lower it and protect your health. Three areas in particular are diet, physical activity and weight management. Sometimes, drug treatment may also be needed to lower blood cholesterol, but if caught early, medicinal use may be delayed or avoided. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in the walls of cells in all parts of the body. The body uses cholesterol to make hormones, bile acids, vitamin D and other substances. The body makes all the cholesterol it needs. There are two main kinds of cholesterol in the blood: low density lipoprotein, also called "bad" cholesterol, because it carries cholesterol to tissues, including the arteries. Most cholesterol in the blood is the LDL form. The higher the level of LDL cholesterol in the blood, the greater your risk for heart disease. The other kind of cholesterol is the high density lipoprotein, which also is called the "good" cholesterol because it takes cholesterol from tissues to the liver, which removes it from the body. A low level of HDL cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease. If there is too much cholesterol in the blood, some of the excess can become trapped in artery walls. Over time, this builds up and is called plaque. The plaque can narrow vessels and make them less flexible, a condition called atherosclerosis or "hardening of the arteries." This process can happen to blood vessels anywhere in the body, including those of the heart, which are called the coronary arteries. If the coronary arteries become partly blocked by plaque, then the blood may not be able to bring enough oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. This can cause chest pain, or angina, a precursor to heart attack. If left alone, continuous build-up may eventually lead to a heart attack. Picture this analogy: view the LDL as being a bunch of hair/sludge building up in your sink pipes (artery). The HDL is like a bottle of pipe cleaner that goes through the pipes removing the hair and sludge. The idea is to lessen the amount of blockage (hair/sludge, or LDL) and increase the clean up efforts (pipe cleaner, or HDL). Do yourself and family a favor, stay on top of your cholesterol numbers and take the steps necessary to maintain a healthy level. The following are risk factors for hyperlipidemia: Risk factors beyond your control: · Age: 45 or older for men; 55 or older for women · Family history of early heart disease Risk factors you can change: · Smoking · High blood pressure · High blood cholesterol · Overweight/obesity · Physical inactivity · Diabetes Steps you can take to reduce lipid levels: · Control your diet · Maintain your recommended body weight · Decrease total amount of fat you eat · Exercise regularly three to five times per week (check with your provider prior to starting any exercise program) · Give up smoking · Test cholesterol levels regularly (yearly) So what are the "normal" cholesterol levels, you may ask? Well, the desired range for your general cholesterol level would be less than 200 mg/dL. Bad cholesterol level (LDL) should be less than 100 mg/dL. The good cholesterol level (HDL) would be more than 40 mg/dL. September is National Cholesterol Education month. For further information regarding cholesterol, the 72nd Medical Group will have free informational items available throughout the clinic beginning Monday. For more information, call Lt. Col. Todd Miller, health care integrator with the 72nd Medial Group, at 736-2259.