How to Manage High Cholesterol

One common problem. Four expert solutions.

By Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.

From Reader's Digest

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Nearly 100 million Americans' cholesterol levels are 200 mg/dL or more.

The nutritionist. What you eat can raise and lower cholesterol. Limit red meat and dairy with saturated fat and reduce unhealthy trans fats. Drink 1% or skim milk and eat no more than three egg yolks a week. Shoot for 10-20 grams of soluble fiber a day from fruits, veggies, whole grains, and black or kidney beans, all of which help reduce cholesterol. Eat more nuts, fatty fish and monounsaturated fats.
-- Vivian Tiegen, RD, Jupiter, Florida

The alternative medicine pro. You want to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good). At least 6 to 8 weeks before you try medication, make some lifestyle changes: Exercise for 30 minutes a day, try a vegetarian diet with plenty of oatmeal and cut back on trans and saturated fats.
-- Gerald Lemole, MD, Associate Medical Director, Christiana Care Center for Heart and Vascular Health, Wilmington, Delaware

The drug expert. Cholesterol drugs were developed as an adjunct to a healthy lifestyle, not as a replacement. So try changing your diet and doing aerobic exercise to achieve your ideal body weight. If you need medication, statins are generally prescribed first, but your doctor may also suggest bile acid sequestrants, fibrates or prescription niacin, all of which will help.
-- Benjamin Lewis, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Columbia University, New York

The supplement coach. Research shows a few things can help. Red rice yeast works like statins, suppressing enzymes that cause high cholesterol, and omega-3 fish oils reduce triglycerides. Niacin also comes in supplement form. It helps break down bad fats in the blood. These supplements are powerful and can have side effects. To make sure you're using them safely, only take them with your doctor's supervision.
-- Chris Conway, Founder, healthyhumans.com

Bottom Line
Especially for women, the healthy HDL is more important than the bad LDL and total cholesterol numbers. Walking 30 minutes daily elevates HDL as much as any medication and melts the belly fat that otherwise fans the inflammatory fires caused by toxic forms of cholesterol. If needed, niacin can provide additional support.

From Reader's Digest - October 2006

Should Everyone Read This? Yes! I vote for this story

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