High cholesterol is one of the main risk factors for developing heart disease or a stroke. Cholesterol can become deposited in the walls of the arteries, which is a condition known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis causes the arteries to become narrow and stiff, resulting in high blood pressure and poor blood flow to the heart, brain and other organs. Statin drugs are the most commonly used medications to treat high cholesterol levels, but they not be appropriate for everyone. There are many other approaches for lowering cholesterol.
Step 1
Take cholesterol-lowering medications. Aside from statins, there are a variety of medications that you can take to lower your cholesterol levels. Bile acid-binding resins remove bile from your body, which also causes your body to lose cholesterol. Cholesterol absorption inhibitors impair your intestines' ability to absorb cholesterol. Other drugs, such as niacin and fibrates can also help lower your cholesterol levels.
Step 2
Lose weight if you are overweight. Excess body fat can increase your LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels. Losing some of your extra weight can allow you to treat high cholesterol without taking statins.
Step 3
Limit your fat and cholesterol intake. You can lower your cholesterol levels by limiting fat to less than 30 percent of your daily calories. No more than 10 percent of your calories should come from saturated fat. Finally, you should limit your cholesterol intake to 300mg or less per day.
Step 4
Consume foods high in fiber. Fiber can make it harder for your intestines to absorb cholesterol. Foods that are high in fiber include whole grains, fruits, vegetables and foods made with bran.
