Teens with high cholesterol may be at increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and having heart attacks later in life, according to the Nemours Foundation. If your doctor told you that you need to lower your cholesterol, you may be able to avoid needing cholesterol medication if you make some simple healthy lifestyle changes.
Weight Loss
Teens who are overweight are more likely to have high cholesterol. However, overweight teens can help reduce their cholesterol by losing even 5 to 10 lbs., according to MayoClinic.com. Talk to your doctor if you think you might be overweight. Depending on your level of growth and the amount of extra weight you are carrying, your doctor may recommend one of two options: stay at the same weight as you grow taller, or lose a healthy 1 lb. or so per week by cutting 500 calories a day.
Daily Activity
Regardless of your weight, getting more exercise can help reduce your "bad" cholesterol -- the kind that can clog your arteries -- and increase your levels of the kind of cholesterol that helps get rid of "bad" cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com. Work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day, separated into 10-minute intervals if you have trouble finding the time or energy to commit to more. Some easy ways to get that exercise include biking to school, walking your dog, walking around the mall with a friend, playing a dance video game and taking a dance or yoga class.
Diet
A diet low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol-rich foods will help you reduce your cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends taking in less than 200 mg of cholesterol through food, making saturated fat under 7 percent of your daily fat intake and making trans fats less than 1 percent. The rest of the fat you eat should be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. A simple way to eat a heart-healthy diet is to focus on eating mostly plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables and beans, says the Nemours Foundation. Healthy sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat are fish, avocados, nuts and seeds.
Cutting Out Vices
Quitting smoking can increase your "good" cholesterol, reduce your blood pressure and significantly reduce your chances of having a heart attack, according to MayoClinic.com. Also, while you may have heard that drinking some alcohol can improve cholesterol levels, you shouldn't drink if you're a teen. Drinking in your teen years dramatically increases your chances of having an alcohol addiction in the future, according to the Federal Trade Commission's We Don't Serve Teens website. People who drink too much alcohol are actually at increased risk for problems such as high levels of triglycerides -- a type of fat in the blood -- as well as high blood pressure and stroke, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Medical Help
If your "bad" cholesterol levels stay at or above 190 mg per deciliter despite your attempts to lower them, or if your "bad" cholesterol level is at least 160 and you have other risk factors, your doctor may recommend cholesterol-lowering medication, according to MayoClinic.com. This doesn't mean you shouldn't continue to eat a healthy diet or that you should give up exercising; medication is merely a supplement for teens at increased risk of health problems.
References
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: What Makes Your Cholesterol High or Low?
- The Nemours Foundation: What Is Cholesterol?
- MayoClinic.com: Top 5 Lifestyle Changes to Reduce Cholesterol
- MassGeneral Hospital for Children: Cholesterol and Triglycerides
- We Don't Serve Teens: Dangers of Teen Drinking
