What's the deal with cholesterol?
Cholesterol is naturally produced by your body’s liver to support many essential bodily functions, but high levels can lead to health issues such as heart disease and stroke. Cholesterol is mostly found in foods coming from animals, such as milk, cheese, egg yolks, meat, and poultry. If your food comes from an animal with a liver, the food has cholesterol.
Why reduce your cholesterol?
Reducing your cholesterol helps prevent heart disease and other health issues. High cholesterol can lead to build up of plaque in your arteries as well as decreased blood flow. There are two types of cholesterol:
• LDL cholesterol can be thought of as the “bad” or “lousy” cholesterol as it is the type that clogs arteries.
• HDL is called the “good” cholesterol as it carries the LDL cholesterol away from the arteries to help prevent plaque build-up.
The good news is your cholesterol level is very much a function of lifestyle, such as how much fat you eat and how much physical activity you get. Even if you inherit the tendency to have an elevated cholesterol level, you can still take effective action to protect your health.
Do you know your numbers?
You can get your cholesterol checked via quick blood test at your Marathon health center. Knowing your cholesterol levels will allow you to work with your provider on a plan to improve or maintain your numbers.
Take the first step today and schedule an appointment by calling your health center or visiting my.marathon.health.
