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This website is provided by The Cleveland Clinic. It is a comprehensive resource for anyone who needs information about high cholesterol. This site refers to multiple evidence-based research that was used to compile this informative site. One is, Heart Disease Facts. (2024, October 24). Heart Disease. https://www.cdc.gov/heart-disease/data-research/facts-stats/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm. This also explains how high cholesterol can affect other aspects of our health besides are heart. This is organized well and written in a format anyone can comprehend.

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What is high cholesterol?

High cholesterol is a condition in which you have too many lipids (fats) in your blood. It's also called hyperlipidemia or hypercholesterolemia.

Your body needs just the right amount of lipids to function. If you have too many lipids, your body can't use them all. The extra lipids start to build up in your arteries. They combine with other substances in your blood to form plaque (fatty deposits).

This plaque might not cause any problems for years, but over time, the plaque silently gets bigger and bigger within your arteries. This is why untreated high cholesterol is dangerous. Those extra lipids in your blood help make the plaque bigger without you even knowing it. The only way to know you have high cholesterol is through a blood test.

A blood test, called a lipid panel, tells you how many lipids are circulating in your blood. What is considered high cholesterol depends on your age, sex and history of heart disease.

Good cholesterol vs. bad cholesterol

There are several types of lipids. The main ones you've probably heard about are "good cholesterol" and "bad cholesterol."

Good cholesterol is called high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Think of the "H" as meaning "helpful." Your HDLs carry cholesterol to your liver. Your liver keeps your cholesterol levels balanced. It makes enough cholesterol to support your body's needs and gets rid of the rest. You must have enough HDLs to carry cholesterol to your liver. If your HDLs are too low, you'll have too much cholesterol circulating in your blood.

Bad cholesterol is called low-density lipoprotein (LDL). This is the culprit that makes plaque form in your arteries. Having too many LDLs can lead to heart disease over time.

When to get your cholesterol checked

High cholesterol can start in childhood or adolescence. That's why current guidelines suggest beginning screenings during childhood.

Children and teens: Get your cholesterol checked every five years starting at age nine. A child whose parents have high cholesterol or a history of heart problems may begin even sooner.

People assigned male at birth (AMAB): Get your cholesterol checked every five years until age 45. From age 45 to 65, get checked every one to two years. After age 65, get checked every year.

People assigned female at birth (AFAB): Get checked every five years until age 55. From age 55 to 65, get checked every one to two years. After age 65, get checked every year.

These are general guidelines. Your healthcare provider will discuss what's best for you. For example, someone in their 20s with high cholesterol numbers may need yearly tests for a while. People with other heart disease risk factors may need more frequent tests, too.

Causes of high cholesterol

Lifestyle factors and genetics both play a role in causing high cholesterol. Lifestyle factors include:

Smoking and tobacco use: Smoking lowers your "good cholesterol" (HDL) and raises your "bad cholesterol" (LDL).

Being under a lot of stress: Stress triggers hormonal changes that cause your body to produce cholesterol.

Drinking alcohol: Too much alcohol in your body can raise your total cholesterol.

Not moving around enough: Physical activity like aerobic exercise improves your cholesterol numbers. If you have a desk job or sit a lot in your free time, your body won't produce enough "good cholesterol."

Diet: Some foods may raise or lower your cholesterol. Sometimes healthcare providers will recommend dietary changes or a visit with a nutritionist to discuss your diet.

Symptoms of high cholesterol

High cholesterol doesn't cause any symptoms for most people. You could be a marathon runner and have high cholesterol. You won't start to feel any symptoms until the high cholesterol causes other problems in your body.
High cholesterol raises your risk of conditions like peripheral artery disease, high blood pressure and stroke. High cholesterol is common among people with diabetes.
How does high cholesterol affect my body?

Over time, high cholesterol leads to plaque buildup inside your blood vessels. This plaque buildup is called atherosclerosis. People with atherosclerosis face a higher risk of many different medical conditions. That's because your blood vessels do important work all throughout your body. So when there's a problem in one of your blood vessels, there's a ripple effect.

You can think of your blood vessels as a complex network of pipes that keep blood flowing through your body. Plaque is like the gunk that clogs your pipes at home and slows down your shower drain. Plaque sticks to the inner walls of your blood vessels and limits how much blood can flow through.

When you have high cholesterol, you have plaque forming inside your blood vessels. The longer you go without treatment, the bigger the plaque gets. As the plaque gets bigger, your blood vessels become narrowed or blocked. Like a partly clogged drain, your blood vessels may still work for a long time. But they won't work as efficiently as they should.

High cholesterol raises your risk of other medical conditions depending on which blood vessels are clogged.

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is also called coronary heart disease (CHD) or ischemic heart disease. This is what most people mean when they use the term "heart disease." CAD is the most common form of heart disease in the U.S. and the leading cause of death.

CAD happens when atherosclerosis affects your coronary arteries. These are the blood vessels that carry blood to your heart. When your heart doesn't get enough blood, it gets weaker and stops working as it should. CAD can lead to a heart attack or heart failure.

What many people don't know is that CAD can affect younger people. In fact, about 1 in 5 people who die from CAD are under age 65. That's why it's important to get your cholesterol checked starting at a young age. Over time, plaque can silently build up in your coronary arteries. Many people don't realize it's happening until they get chest pain ( angina) or another sign of a heart attack.

Carotid artery disease

When atherosclerosis affects your carotid arteries, it's called carotid artery disease. Your carotid arteries carry blood to the large, front part of your brain. When plaque narrows these arteries, your brain can't get enough oxygen-rich blood.

Carotid artery disease can lead to a transient ischemic attack (TIA or "mini-stroke") or a stroke.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD)

When atherosclerosis affects the arteries in your legs or arms, it's called peripheral artery disease (PAD). The arteries in your legs and arms are "peripheral" because they're away from your heart and the center of your body. PAD is more common in your legs but can also happen in your arms.

PAD is dangerous because it often causes no symptoms. You might finally start to feel symptoms when a peripheral artery is at least 60% blocked. A key symptom is intermittent claudication. This is a leg cramp that starts up when you're moving around but then stops when you rest. It's a sign of reduced blood flow caused by the growing plaque in your artery.

PAD can cause major problems in your legs and feet but also elsewhere in your body. That's because all your blood vessels are connected through your cardiovascular system. So, plaque buildup in one area slows down your whole network of "pipes."

PAD isn't the same as coronary artery disease (CAD), but the two conditions are related. People with one condition are likely to have the other one, too. Both PAD and CAD have many of the same risk factors.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure (hypertension) and high cholesterol are linked. Cholesterol plaque and calcium cause your arteries to become hard and narrow. So, your heart has to strain much harder to pump blood through them. As a result, your blood pressure becomes too high.

High blood pressure and high cholesterol are two of the biggest causes of heart disease. In the U.S., about 1 in 3 adults have high blood pressure, and about 1 in 3 adults have high cholesterol. For more than half of the adults in each group, treatment isn't helping enough or else they're not using any treatment.

Medications from your healthcare provider can help a lot, but lifestyle changes can help those medications work at their best. Lifestyle changes are important for managing both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Some changes include:

Eat less saturated fat and trans fat: Fast food can contain high amounts of both. But even foods at formal restaurants can be high in saturated fat depending on how they're cooked.

Eat fewer fried foods and processed foods: These include prepackaged desserts and snacks.

Eat less sodium (salt): Some foods have hidden salt. It's important to read labels in the store. Some restaurants may be able to share nutrition information for menu items.

Stop smoking and using tobacco products: Smoking is a leading risk factor for heart disease and blood vessel problems.

What medical problems affect my cholesterol levels?

Medical problems and cholesterol have a two-way relationship. High cholesterol can cause medical problems like atherosclerosis. But some medical conditions can also put you at a higher risk of having high cholesterol. Here are some conditions that may affect your cholesterol levels.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD)

People with chronic kidney disease (CKD) face a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease. That's because CKD causes plaque to build up more quickly in their arteries. People with early-stage CKD are more likely to die from heart disease than kidney disease.

CKD causes you to have more triglycerides (a type of fat) in your blood. It also causes you to have more very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol. VLDLs are particles that carry triglycerides. Meanwhile, CKD lowers your "good cholesterol" (HDL) levels and prevents your HDLs from working as they should. CKD also changes the structure of your "bad cholesterol" (LDL) particles so they cause more harm.

HIV

People with HIV are nearly twice as likely as people without HIV to have a heart attack or stroke. Researchers used to think this higher risk came from HIV medications (antiretroviral therapy). They believed those medications raised a person's cholesterol. But newer research shows the culprit is actually a person's immune system.

Even if your HIV is managed, your immune system may still be activated. This puts your body in a state of chronic inflammation. This inflammation triggers plaque buildup and atherosclerosis.

The good news is that people with HIV are living longer. But that means more research needs to explore how chronic diseases like heart disease affect them.

Thyroid disease

Having thyroid disease can affect your cholesterol levels. That's because the thyroid hormone influences how your body processes lipids (fats). The impact depends on what kind of thyroid disease you have.

Hyperthyroidism: This condition causes your body to make too much thyroid hormone. Medications used to treat this condition can raise your cholesterol levels (total, LDL, and HDL). If you're being treated for hyperthyroidism, talk with your healthcare provider about how to manage your cholesterol.

Hypothyroidism: This condition causes your body to make too little thyroid hormone. It also causes you to have higher cholesterol levels. In this case, treatment for thyroid disease lowers your cholesterol levels. But you may still need to take statins to get your cholesterol in the ideal range. Your provider will discuss what's best for your individual case.

Researchers continue to explore the links between thyroid disease and heart disease. Some studies show that thyroid disease can cause heart problems unrelated to cholesterol or plaque buildup. For example, both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism may raise a person's risk of heart failure.

Lupus

People with lupus usually have higher levels of "bad cholesterol" (LDL, VLDL) and triglycerides. They also have lower levels of "good cholesterol" (HDL). People who have active lupus face a greater risk of high cholesterol compared with those who have well-managed (quiet) lupus.

Lupus raises your risk of developing coronary artery disease. That's because lupus causes your body to be in a state of chronic inflammation. This inflammation leads to faster plaque buildup in your arteries.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

People with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) face a higher risk of heart disease. This risk goes up more as they age. PCOS raises the risk of many heart disease risk factors, including diabetes and high blood pressure. People with PCOS are more likely to have high "bad cholesterol" (LDL) levels and low "good cholesterol" (HDL) levels.

Diabetes mellitus

Diabetes mellitus (Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes) doubles your risk for coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease. Diabetes is linked with lower levels of HDLs and higher levels of triglycerides and LDLs.

About 7 out of 10 people with Type 2 diabetes are diagnosed with diabetes-related dyslipidemia. This means they have high triglyceride levels, high "small dense" LDL levels, and low HDL levels. "Small dense" LDL is a specific type of cholesterol protein that can easily enter your artery wall and cause damage. Having too many small dense LDLs in your blood can cause plaque to grow.

Researchers continue to explore how diabetes and heart disease relate to each other.

How can I lower my cholesterol?

Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to lower your cholesterol. Some people only need some simple lifestyle changes like eating less saturated fat. Others need lifestyle changes plus medication. People with medical conditions that affect their cholesterol may need a more complex approach. Talk with your provider about your medical history, family history and lifestyle factors. Together, you'll come up with a plan for lowering your cholesterol numbers.

Remember that even the best plans take time to work. And we all have setbacks. It's OK to struggle, and it's also OK to tell your provider when a plan isn't working. Sometimes even the strictest lifestyle changes don't lower your cholesterol numbers enough. That's because most of your body's cholesterol is produced by your liver. So, many other factors come into play that are out of your control and have nothing to do with what's on your dinner plate.

Take things one step at a time, and remember that having high cholesterol isn't a personal failure. It's a result of many small changes quietly happening inside your body. Take control of what you can, but know that medications and other medical interventions are there to fill in the gaps.
A note from Cleveland Clinic
High cholesterol is sneaky and silent. You could have too many lipids in your blood and not know it for many years. A simple blood test is the only way to find out. High cholesterol affects people of all ages, including those who are active and feel healthy. Some medical conditions raise a person's risk of high cholesterol and heart disease. Learn your numbers and talk with your provider about what they mean for you.

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High Cholesterol: Causes, Symptoms and How It Affects the Body

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High cholesterol is a condition in which you have too many lipids (fats) in your blood. It's also called hyperlipidemia or hypercholesterolemia. Your body needs just the right amount of lipids to function. If you have too many lipids, your body can't use them all. The extra lipids start to build up in your arteries.

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Video - How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet

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Video - How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet

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This YouTube video, resented by a medical physician, focuses on diet and how what food items can assist with lowering cholesterol numbers. This information can assist anyone who wants to modify their diet. I have done this myself this year. My LDL has gone from 169 to 69. Eating less saturated fats, carbs, and sugary food, and increasing fiber with fruits and vegetables, and increased exercise, has really helped me. My weight is down 20 lbs. This has helped my overall health outlook by teaching me how to eat better, and most importantly has lowered by cardiovascular risks. There is a lot of videos on YouTube, come are not based on reliable research. This one is, the physician mentions evidence-based studies and information from the American Heart Association. American Heart Association. (n.d.). Lower your LDL. www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/hdl-good-ldl-bad-cholesterol-and-triglycerides/lower-your-ldl

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Lower Cholesterol NATURALLY - NO PILLS: Doctor Explains

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This is a website health resource that is provided by UPMC Health Plan to assist members with healthy dietary choices to improve their heart health. This topic is a good resource for those at high risk for cardiovascular disease and it discusses food insecurities which also contribute to the increased risk. This artifact does site multiple evidence-based scientific research. One is,

‘Food is medicine’ shows potential for improving diet quality and food security. (n.d.). American Heart Association. https://newsroom.heart.org/news/food-is-medicine-shows-potential-for-improving-diet-quality-and-food-security

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This YouTube video content is from Dirty Medicine. This is a YouTube Channel with a monthly subscription. The reliability of this site and information may not be the best source of evidence-based information. The target audience appears to be medical students who need to learn the different types of cholesterol lowering medications. In the comments a student said they passed Pharmacology 1 by using this channel as an adjunct learning tool. He even mentions tests questions that students may encounter during class testing. He focuses on what should be memorized with each medications discussed. I cannot find on his channel his credentials. He does have a lot of medical topic videos to learn from. If I were to utilize this resource, I would then find my own evidence-based research to back up any of the findings or topics he discusses. I don't know if he is a physician or not. He does have almost 900K subscribers. Dirty Medicine - YouTube

An evidence-based resource that would be a good resource to use is, Basak, A. (2025). Oral and Non-Oral Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs with PCSK9 and Other Biomolecules as Targets: Present Status and Future Prospects. Biomolecules, 15(4), 468. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom15040468.

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Lipid Lowering Agents (Cholesterol Drugs)

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This is an apple podcast series from the American Heart Association all about cholesterol. The information presented is from evidenced-based research and is good for both healthcare providers and anyone who wants to gain knowledge about lowering their cholesterol. I particularly liked the one on, "The Importance of Bridging the Gap in Lipid Management" it's focus was on taking bias out of this health topic. The "Coronary Calcification (CAC Score)" podcast can be used by clinicians to guide prognosis and treatment of hyperlipidemia. We use this score in my cardiology office. To test for this, it is a CT scan for coronary calcium. If Calcium level is found over 100, the cholesterol medications are increased to lower a patient's risk of coronary blockage. I myself have high cholesterol so I had this test done. Fortunately, my score was 0, so my cholesterol medications did not need adjusted. The American Heart Association establishes a lot of cardiac guidelines that are used in cardiology care, and this is reliable information. Here is a research article to support the use of getting a coronary calcium score. Pavlović, J., Bos, D., Ikram, M. K., Ikram, M. A., Kavousi, M., & Leening, M. J. G. (2025). Guideline-Directed Application of Coronary artery calcium scores for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular Disease. JACC. Cardiovascular Imaging. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmg.2024.12.008

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Medicine Podcast · This podcast series for healthcare professionals offers expert insights and discussion on the prevalence of high cholesterol. Learn about improving cholesterol management with a healthy lifestyle and …

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This podcast site features audio collectives based on Ted Talks from actual conferences presented by experts. Expert use evidence-based research to base their clinical recommendations on, so these podcasts are targeting healthcare professionals. Anyone who listens can benefit from the information presented. There is a focus on health equity, to provide everyone with optimal health to improve outcomes. The information presented in these Ted Talks can be used for clinical guidance and treatment options. The "Do you really need to take 10,000 steps a day?" podcast was presented by a physician. Research has concluded that exercise can help you\ lose weight and increase circulation. Weight loss can contribute to improved health and lower cholesterol levels. Overall lowering your cardiovascular risks of heart attack or stroke. Here is a research article to support the exercise Ted Talk. Tucker, W. J., Fegers-Wustrow, I., Halle, M., Haykowsky, M. J., Chung, E. H., & Kovacic, J. C. (2022). Exercise for primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 80(11), 1091–1106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2022.07.004

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What does exercise do to your brain? Can psychedelics treat depression? From smart daily habits to new medical breakthroughs, welcome to TED Health, with host Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider. TED speakers answer questions you never even knew you had, and share ideas you won't hear anywhere else, all around how we can live healthier lives.

What does exercise do to your brain? Can psychedelics treat depression? From smart daily habits to new medical breakthroughs, welcome to TED Health, with host Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider. TED speakers answer questions you never even knew you had, and share ideas you won't hear anywhere else, all around how we can live healthier lives.

Ted health podcasts

I enjoy the topics but can hardly bear to listen to even half an episode. Whose in your organization thought it was a great idea to place stupid annoying sounds effects? Is the person developing them a relative who needs a creative outlet?

Childish sound effects?!

I love TED talks and thought this one would surely be great if it provides ~10 minute talks on health related topics. However, there are such childish, cartoon-like sound effects constantly in the background! Who in the world thought this would be a good idea for an adult audience? It is so distracting, annoying and such a turn off. I very rarely leave negative reviews but I find it mind-boggling that someone would think these sound effects would resonate with an adult, TED-following audience. I just started the episode about food expiration dates and barely 1 minute in, I can't take the sound effects anymore.

Voice work

Love the podcast listen regularly, but as I am finding with virtually all podcasts now that this media is becoming very popular, and very integrated into all of our daily lives, podcast hosts, and frequent guests need to do voice work. I realize that is something that does not usually fall in the realm of science and medicine, and it does fall in the realm of actors and performers, but it is so jarring and so grating to hear someone's voice badly misplaced with glottal stop's, nasally whiny resonance , throat muscles so tight and distracted that it is almost painful to listen to. I have stopped informative podcasts on this show a number of times, because the sound of the voices is so dreadful. There are many many options available for basic voice training. Please spread the word.

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What does exercise do to your brain? Can psychedelics treat depression? From smart daily habits to new medical breakthroughs, welcome to TED Health, with host Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider. TED speakers answer questions you never even knew you had, and share ideas you won't hear anywhere else, all around...

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Instagram: Resource for good dietary habits and the importance of exercise. 

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Instagram: Resource for good dietary habits and the importance of exercise. 

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This is an Instagram site I found. Above it the just an image of the site from my cell phone. This Instagram site is created by a registered dietician. The focus is on healthy eating to improve overall health and how added exercise also contributes. It appears the main target audience is for anyone wishing to improve their diet., but there is also a link to click on to read about dietary studies, which is good for healthcare providers. I clicked it and the first one that came up took me to this... The Best Time of Day to Exercise to Make It a Habit

which is an article on the EatingWell web site. At the bottom of this article, they list Sources from evidence-based research...

"EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy."

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Exercise or physical activity.

2. American College of Sports Medicine. Physical activity guidelines.

3. Schumacher LM, Thomas JG, Raynor HA, Rhodes RE, Bond DS. Consistent morning exercise may be beneficial for individuals with obesity. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2020;48(4):201-208. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000226

4. Riddell MC, Turner LV, Patton SR. Is there an optimal time of day for exercise? A commentary on when to exercise for people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Spectr. 2023;36(2):146-150. doi:10.2337/dsi22-0017

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This AI APP helps you determine the nutritional content of food and drink items, to help you lose weight. It scans your food or the nutrition label, and will identify calorie counts, fat, protein, sodium, net carbs, fiber, and sugar in the food items. This is an app you need to purchase for the full functionality. I am currently using this to help me to loose weight to help lower my own cholesterol level. In order to lose weight, you need a calorie deficit. This app collects your personal biological information and calculates how many calories you need per day based on your target weight. The app is actually teaching me the Nutrional contents of all the food I consume without having to spend hours a day looking up nutrition information. The target audience is anyone who wants or needs to count calories. Good for diabetics also. For myself as a nurse who educates people on proper diet to optimize their heart health, I find this tool very educational.

This 10-year study concludes that obesity increases cardiovascular risks, therefore weight loss is an important modifiable aspect. Yang, H., Zhang, T., Wang, D., Loi, E., Geng, Q., Wu, B., Wang, X., & Cai, R. (2025). A Systematic Bibliometric analysis of cardiovascular disease risk in obesity (2014–2024). Taylor & Francis. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.2147/JMDH.S504022

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‎Eato® is a streamlined app for managing weight health through calorie tracking and meal planning, keeping you on the path to wellness. Here, Eato® takes you on a new path of weight loss and improves your body health with scientific and effective methods. FEATURES:
· Calorie Counter: Get customize…

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This is an image of a Facebook page, that is created by a physician and provides health information for anyone searching on Facebook. There is a disclaimer attached to his site that states the FDA has not evaluated his information and this is for educational purposes only. Even though his information may be evidenced-based and reliable, he may have to attach such a disclosure for legal aspects. He does cite his information with evidence-based research, for example from the American Heart Association. Cholesterol Medications | American Heart Association American Heart Association. (2025, August 26). Cholesterol medications. www.heart.org. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia/cholesterol-medications

His information is also a good source of education for the healthcare provider. You just need to verify that the information is evidence-based. Medications for lowering cholesterol while effective pose a lot of side effects. We struggle with these mediations the most in my cardiology office. Statins drugs have the most side effects. Insurance companies will not approve the injection type meds unless multiple statins have been tried and failed. This can make treatment take a long time to become effective. This is why modifying diet and exercise is also very important.

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Blog:  Lowering Cholesterol with Smart Dietary Choices

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Blog:  Lowering Cholesterol with Smart Dietary Choices

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This blog is written by a physician. I found it by doing a google search online. He currently has over 700 subscribers. He presents a list of good food and drink items to help lower cholesterol naturally. While this site did not have any evidence-based citing's listed, it is a good source of information, I feel it is not targeted to healthcare providers. I found this helpful as it linked to other healthcare concerns of interest. As a nurse anything I found on this blog would need backed up by a scholarly search. For example, this American Dietary Guideline I found. Sanders, L. M., Allen, J. C., Blankenship, J., Decker, E. A., Christ‐Erwin, M., Hentges, E. J., Jones, J. M., Mohamedshah, F. Y., Ohlhorst, S. D., Ruff, J., & Wegner, J. (2021). Implementing the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: Recommendations for a path forward. Journal of Food Science, 86(12), 5087–5099. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.15969

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High cholesterol levels - particularly LDL (low-density lipoprotein) - can contribute to plaque buildup in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

Fortunately, diet may play a crucial role in managing cholesterol levels. Consuming cholesterol-lowering foods and drinks can help reduce LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL (high-density lipoprotein) - the "good" cholesterol that helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Foods that help lower cholesterol

Oats contain soluble fiber, which helps lower LDL cholesterol by reducing its absorption in the bloodstream.

Recommended intake: Eat a daily serving of oatmeal or other whole grains like brown rice and barley.

Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines)

Fatty fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and lower triglyceride levels.

Recommended intake: Eat at least two servings per week.

Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios)

Nuts contain healthy fats, fiber and plant sterols that lower LDL cholesterol.

Recommended intake: Eat a handful (1 ounce) per day.

Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas)

Legumes are high in soluble fiber, which binds to cholesterol and helps remove it from the body.

Recommended intake: At least three servings per week.

Fruits (apples, berries, citrus fruits, grapes)

Fruits contain pectin, a type of soluble fiber that helps lower cholesterol.

Recommended intake: Eat 2-3 servings per day.

Avocados

Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that help lower LDL and raise HDL cholesterol.

Recommended intake: Eat half an avocado per day.

Drinks that help lower cholesterol

Green tea contains catechins that help lower LDL cholesterol.

Recommended intake: Drink 1-2 cups per day.

Soy milk

Soy milk contains plant-based proteins that lower cholesterol levels.

Recommended intake: Drink 1-2 cups per day.

Tomato juice

Tomato juice is rich in lycopene, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol.

Recommended intake: Drink one glass per day.

Reap the benefits

Incorporating these cholesterol-lowering foods and drinks into your diet can help reduce LDL levels and improve your heart health. Pairing them with a balanced lifestyle that includes regular exercise, stress management and avoiding processed foods can further enhance their benefits. If you have high cholesterol, consult your doctor or a nutritionist for personalized dietary recommendations.

Finally, if you haven't had your cholesterol checked lately, ask your primary care physician to check it during your next visit. Depending on your level, you may need medication to help lower it. If you don't have a primary care physician, go to Find a Provider to find one and make an appointment for a checkup.

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Lower Your Cholesterol With Smart Choices

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Incorporating cholesterol-lowering foods and drinks into your diet can help reduce LDL levels and improve your heart health. Consuming cholesterol-lowering foods and drinks can help reduce LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL (high-density lipoprotein).

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Image: Teaching Tool 4 Outpatient Cardiology

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Image: Teaching Tool 4 Outpatient Cardiology

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This is an image we use in my cardiology office to show our patient's a visual so they can see why it is important to lower your LDL cholesterol level. It shows them how elevated LDL narrows their cardiac arteries and increases their risk for cardiac events such as heart attack or stroke. The new guidelines say optimal LDL is <55. We use this goal for our patients. We educate on the importance of diet, exercise, and medication use.

Navar, A. M., Shah, N. P., Shrader, P., Thomas, L. E., Ahmad, Z., Allred, C., Chamberlain, A. M., Chrischilles, E. A., Dhalwani, N., Effron, M. B., Hayek, S., Jones, L. K., Kalich, B., Shapiro, M. D., Wójcik, C., & Peterson, E. D. (2024). Achievement of LDL-C <55 mg/dL among US adults: Findings from the cvMOBIUS2 registry. American Heart Journal, 279, 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2024.06.012

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This article is for healthcare providers. It outlines cholesterol lowering medications and guidelines established by The American College of Cardiology. It focuses on risk stratification and treatment. Intended audience is healthcare providers. The cardiologists in my office follow these guidelines.

We have seen great results with PCSK9 inhibitors such as Repatha and Praluent.

The challenge with using these injectable medications is the insurance companies will not always cover the costs or approve the drug's use. To get prior auth for these drugs patients have to have tried and failed multiple statin drugs and or Zetia. Failure is either from side effects like myalgia or the max dose of the statins plus Zetia are no longer effective to lower LDL cholesterol numbers.