Checking, Controlling Cholesterol Crucial to Reducing Risk of Heart Disease

September is National Cholesterol Education Month

Lowering your blood cholesterol level remains a significant way to reduce the risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. In September, as part of National Cholesterol Education Month, Martin's Point Health Care is encouraging men and women throughout Maine to have their cholesterol checked and to keep in mind ways to maintain a healthy cholesterol range.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in blood that builds up in the walls of arteries. Over time, this buildup reduces or blocks blood flow to the heart. Each year, more than 1 million Americans have heart attacks, while 500,000 die from heart disease - the leading killer of men and women in the U.S.

"Because high blood cholesterol doesn't actually cause symptoms, many people may not know their cholesterol level is too high," said Dr. Jan Wnek, M.D., medical director of Portland-based Martin's Point, the state's largest not-for-profit primary care practice. "That's why getting checked and understanding the risk factors are so important."

Indeed, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute - sponsor of National Cholesterol Education Month - everyone age 20 or older should have their cholesterol measured at least once every five years. It's best to have a blood test called a "lipoprotein profile," which provides information about total cholesterol, as well as "bad" cholesterol (LDL), the main source of buildup and blockage in the arteries. The test also measures "good" cholesterol (HDL), which helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries, and triglycerides, another form of fat in your blood. It's desirable to have a total cholesterol level of less than 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood and less than 100 milligrams of LDL; an HDL level of 60 milligrams or more is considered helpful.

Cholesterol levels are impacted by five key factors, the institute says:

Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat make your blood cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main culprit, but cholesterol in foods also matters. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol.

Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels; it also raises your level of HDL.

Exercise. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower "bad" cholesterol and raise "good" cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes each day.

Age and Gender. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL levels tend to rise.

Heredity. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.

For more information about lowering cholesterol and reducing your risk for heart disease, call the institute's Health Information Center at (301)-592-8573, or visit online at: http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/atpiii/calculator.asp (risk calculator); http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/hbc_what.htm (key facts); and http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/chd/index.htm (National Cholesterol Education Month).

Martin's Point will hold cholesterol screenings as part of its Diabetes Fair from noon to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 2, at the Martin's Point Health Education Center at 331 Veranda St. in Portland. Throughout the year, the center offers visitors a variety of resource materials, such as publications and videos, and classes that focus on a host of topics, ranging from weight management and smoking cessation to the management of diseases such as diabetes.

Established in 1981, Martin's Point is a not-for-profit health care provider with facilities in Portland, Brunswick and Windham, Maine, and in Portsmouth, N.H. The largest primary care practice in Maine, Martin's Point has a staff of more than 300 health care professionals and serves 54,000 patients - including military retirees and dependents of active military personnel - under all major health plans. Martin's Point serves patients in the areas of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, surgery, radiology, cardiology, and mammography, as well as other fields.

In addition, Martin's Point is known for its innovative approach to health care. Unique to Martin's Point is its online communication program called Patient's Personal Points, which allows patients to communicate via a secure server with their doctors to schedule appointments, ask medical questions and obtain prescription renewals. The program won a national technology award from the Healthcare Innovations in Technology Systems (HITS) Partnership in Technology national awards program. For additional information on Martin's Point Health Care, visit them online at www.martinspoint.org.

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