Having high cholesterol scores puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and other cardiovascular-related diseases. You can lower your cholesterol levels by eating right and exercising regularly. These all-natural ways to treat high cholesterol can provide effective results in a matter of months, according to William Haynes, M.D., of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Diet
Eating healthier can provide relatively quick results. According to Haynes, simply modifying your diet to include less saturated fats, trans fats and dietary cholesterol can start to lower your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level within two to four weeks. The full effect of a healthy heart diet can be seen within about three months. A heart-healthy diet consists of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and lean cuts of meat.
Exercise
Haynes points out exercise can increase your high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or "good" cholesterol, and greatly reduce your risk of heart attack by improving the number of blood vessels in the heart and cardiovascular system. Ralph La Forge, M.S., of the American Council on Exercise agrees, saying three to four hours of moderate intensity exercise per week can lower total cholesterol levels by 10 to 20 percent in three to four months. Moderate exercise includes walking briskly, cycling or elliptical training.
Medication
If diet and exercise is not enough to lower your cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe a statin medication. Statins help to limit the amount of cholesterol your body produces. These drugs provide faster results compared to diet and exercise alone, but they should be considered a last resort. Statins can help lower your cholesterol level by 10 to 55 percent, depending upon the dosage, according to Robert H. Eckel, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and former president of the AHA in an interview with "U.S. News and World Report."
Cholesterol Levels
A total cholesterol level of below 200 mg/dL is considered healthy by the AHA. An HDL score of 40 mg/dL for men or 50 mg/dL for women is considered healthy. When it comes to LDL cholesterol, levels less than 100 mg/dL are considered optimal. Another part of your cholesterol score is your triglyceride levels, or the amount of fat in your blood. Triglyceride levels less than 150 mg/dL are considered normal. A combination of diet and exercise can improve all of these scores within a few months, according to Haynes.
References
- University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; Risk Factors for Heart Disease: Frequently Asked Questions; William Haynes, M.D.; March 2000
- American Heart Association; About Cholesterol; May 2011
- American Council on Exercise; Managing Cholesterol with Exercise; Ralph La Forge, M.S.
- "U.S. News and World Report"; Lowering LDL Cholesterol; January W. Payne; May 2009
- American Heart Association; What Your Cholesterol Levels Mean; May 2011
