For Immediate Release:
September 6, 2006

Contact:
Nanci Gonder
Office of Public Information
573-751-6062

State Health Department urges Missourians to get cholesterol checked

Less cholesterol in your blood means you’re more likely to live a long and healthy life.
High cholesterol can lead to heart disease – the number one killer in Missouri, according to Julie Eckstein, Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

Eckstein noted that September is National Cholesterol Education Month, a good time for Missourians to have their cholesterol levels checked and to adopt lifestyle changes that can help prevent or reduce high cholesterol.

“High cholesterol has no symptoms, but a simple blood test can tell you what you need to know,” said Eckstein.

She said that high cholesterol is on the rise in Missouri. About 38 percent of adults over 18 who had their cholesterol checked had high blood cholesterol levels in 2005 compared to 33.6 percent in 2003.

Adults over the age of 18 should have a blood test at least every five years to monitor their cholesterol levels.

The state health department recommends a lipoprotein profile test, which provides several important numbers, including:

• Total cholesterol
• LDL cholesterol (commonly known as bad cholesterol) – creates the main source of buildup and blockage in the arteries
• HDL cholesterol  (commonly known as good cholesterol) – helps keep cholesterol from building up in arteries
• Triglycerides – another form of fat in the blood

The lipoprotein profile test must be done after a nine to 12 hour fast. If that is not possible, a simpler test can be done that determines total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.

A total cholesterol level of less than 200 is desirable. A level of 200 to 239 is borderline high, while a level of 240 and above is considered high.

An LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 is considered optimal. A reading of 160 to 189 is high, and a level of 190 or above is very high.

If your cholesterol level is high, you can make some changes to decrease it. To reduce cholesterol levels:

• Eat a well-balanced diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol
• Eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetable every day
• Get regular physical exercise
• Maintain a healthy weight

Eckstein said people with high cholesterol should also visit their doctor regularly so their cholesterol level can be closely monitored.

More information and a cholesterol fact sheet can be found at http://www.dhss.mo.gov/HeartandStroke/cholesterol.pdf. In addition, a new booklet, Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes), is available from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. For an online version of the new booklet, go to: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/chol/chol_tlc.htm. Printed copies are available for $4.00 through the NHLBI website or from the NHLBI Information Center at P.O. Box 30105, Bethesda, MD 20824-0105, or at 301-592-8573 or 240-629-3255 (TTY).