Approximately 1 in 6 people in the U.S. have high cholesterol, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many don't know they're at risk because there are no symptoms. Having high cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. You can manage cholesterol levels through diet, exercise and perhaps medication. How long it takes to lower cholesterol is different for everyone and varies depending on the method. A simple blood test can tell you what your cholesterol numbers are and if you are at risk.
Identification
The body needs cholesterol, just not too much. It is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by the body and found in food. Your liver creates about 75 percent of the cholesterol in your blood and the food you eat makes up the other 25 percent. Cholesterol is necessary for building new cells, insulating nerves and producing hormones.
Function
The two main types of cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein, or LDL and HDL. LDL is considered to be bad, while HDL is said to be good. The job of HDL cholesterol is to pick up excess LDL cholesterol and carry it back to the liver to be excreted from the body. If there is too much LDL, HDL's job is difficult, resulting in a buildup of bad cholesterol in the artery walls. This increases your risk of heart disease. Likewise, if there is not enough HDL in the blood, there is not enough to carry out the excess LDL. So, raising your HDL while working to lower LDL can speed the process.
Risk Factors
You may be at a higher risk for cholesterol if you smoke, according to MayoClinic.com. Smoking damages the blood vessel walls where fatty deposits are more likely to accumulate. Obesity, poor diet and a lack of exercise also contribute to the risk of high cholesterol. Eating foods high in cholesterol or saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels. Exercise can raise HDL levels. High blood pressure and high blood sugar are also risk factors for high cholesterol; the increased pressure and sugar can damage the lining of the arteries. If a parent or sibling develops heart disease before the age of 55, your risk of high cholesterol is even greater, according to MayoClinic.com.
Significance
The higher your HDL number and the lower your LDL number, the better. A total cholesterol level of 200mg/dL and under is best. While your total cholesterol number is a good place to start, knowing the breakdown of the number will help you understand your risk better. An LDL cholesterol number less than 100mg/dL is optimal, though 100 to 129mg/dL is near and slightly above optimal. A level of 130 to 159mg/dL is borderline high, 160 to 189mg/dL is high and 190mg/dL and above is very high. An HDL cholesterol number less than 40mg/dL for men and 50mg/dL for women is risky, but 40 to 50mg/dL for men and 50 to 60mg/dL for women is desirable, while 60mg/dL or above is ideal.
Time Frame
Dr. William Haynes of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics states that it typically takes two to four weeks for a change in diet to show a difference in cholesterol levels and it can take up to three months for the full effect.
A study published in the 2004 issue of the "British Journal of Nutrition" found a healthy diet containing almonds lowered cholesterol levels up to 15 percent, depending on the amount, in just one month. According to Science Daily, another study performed in 2010 at Iowa State University's Nutrition and Wellness Research Center showed that participants consuming flaxseed decreased cholesterol levels by about 10 percent in three months.
References
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: High Cholesterol: Understand Your Risks
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol
- Science Daily: Flaxseed Lowers High Cholesterol in Men
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics: Risk Factors for Heart Disease
- "Circulation"; American Heart Association: Dose Response of Almonds on Coronary Heart Disease Risk Factors: Blood Lipids, Oxidized Low-Density Lipoproteins, Lipoprotein(a), Homocysteine, and Pulmonary Nitric Oxide
