BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuCholesterol - what to ask your doctor Hyperlipidemia - what to ask your doctor; What to ask your doctor about cholesterolYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up inside the walls of your arteries (blood vessels), including the ones that go to your heart. This buildup is called plaque.Plaque narrows your arteries and slows or stops the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack, stroke, or other serious heart or vascular disease.Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Previous imagePlay SlideshowStop SlideshowNext image / Below are some questions you may want to ask your health care provider to help you take care of your cholesterol.QuestionsRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersWhat is my cholesterol level? What should my cholesterol level be?Cholesterol levelCholesterol is a fat (also called a lipid) that your body needs to work properly. Too much bad cholesterol in your blood can increase your chance of...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article What are HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol? Does my cholesterol need to be better? How often should I have my cholesterol checked? What medicines am I taking to treat high cholesterol?MedicinesYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. But extra cholesterol in your blood causes deposits to build up on the inside walls of your blood vess...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Do they have any side effects? What should I do if I miss a dose? Are there foods, other medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements that may change how well my cholesterol medicines work? What is a heart-healthy diet?Heart-healthy dietYour body needs cholesterol to work well. But cholesterol levels that are too high can harm you. In the US, blood cholesterol is most often measured...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article What are low-fat foods? What types of fat are OK for me to eat? How can I read a food label to know how much fat it has? Is it ever OK to eat something that is not heart healthy? What are some ways to eat healthy when I go to a restaurant? Can I ever go to a fast-food restaurant again? Do I need to limit how much salt I use? Can I use other spices to make my food taste good? Is it OK to drink any alcohol? What can I do to stop smoking?Should I start an exercise program?Is it safe for me to exercise on my own? Where should I exercise, inside or outside? Which activities are better to start with? Are there activities or exercises that are not safe for me? Can I exercise most days? How long and how hard can I exercise? What symptoms may I need to watch out for? Open ReferencesReferencesArnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2020;141(16):e774. PMID: 30879355 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30879355/.Genest J, Mora S, Libby P. Lipoprotein disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 27.Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of blood cholesterol: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(24):3234-3237. PMID: 30423391 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30423391/.Hensrud DD. Diet and nutrition. In: Goldman L, Cooney, KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 13.Mora S, Libby P, Ridker PM. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.Mozaffarian D. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29.AllVideoImagesTogPlaque buildup in arteries - illustration A heart attack or stroke may occur when an area of plaque (atherosclerosis) ruptures and a clot forms over the location, blocking the flow of blood to the organ's tissues.Plaque buildup in arteriesillustrationPlaque buildup in arteries - illustration A heart attack or stroke may occur when an area of plaque (atherosclerosis) ruptures and a clot forms over the location, blocking the flow of blood to the organ's tissues.Plaque buildup in arteriesillustrationTalking to your MD Cholesterol - what to ask your doctor Type 2 diabetes - what to ask your doctorBefore weight-loss surgery - what to ask your doctorHeart failure - what to ask your doctor High blood pressure - what to ask your doctor Angina - what to ask your doctor Heart attack - what to ask your providerSelf Care Diabetes eye careLong-term complications of diabetesDiabetes tests and checkupsType 2 diabetes - self-careRelated Information Heart attack(Condition)Familial hypercholesterolemia(Condition)High blood cholesterol levels(Condition)Diabetes - preventing heart attack and stroke(Self-Care)Being active when you have heart disease(Self-Care)Butter, margarine, and cooking oils(Self-Care)Cholesterol and lifestyle(Self-Care)Dietary fats explained(Self-Care)Cholesterol - drug treatment(Self-Care)Coronary artery disease - InDepth(In-Depth)Heart failure - InDepth(In-Depth)Cholesterol - InDepth(In-Depth) Review Date: 7/14/2024 Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
Cholesterol - what to ask your doctor Hyperlipidemia - what to ask your doctor; What to ask your doctor about cholesterolYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it builds up inside the walls of your arteries (blood vessels), including the ones that go to your heart. This buildup is called plaque.Plaque narrows your arteries and slows or stops the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack, stroke, or other serious heart or vascular disease.Heart attackMost heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article StrokeA stroke occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain stops. A stroke is sometimes called a "brain attack. " If blood flow is cut off for longer th...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Previous imagePlay SlideshowStop SlideshowNext image / Below are some questions you may want to ask your health care provider to help you take care of your cholesterol.QuestionsRelated video goes here for no-HTML5 browsersWhat is my cholesterol level? What should my cholesterol level be?Cholesterol levelCholesterol is a fat (also called a lipid) that your body needs to work properly. Too much bad cholesterol in your blood can increase your chance of...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article What are HDL (good) cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol? Does my cholesterol need to be better? How often should I have my cholesterol checked? What medicines am I taking to treat high cholesterol?MedicinesYour body needs cholesterol to work properly. But extra cholesterol in your blood causes deposits to build up on the inside walls of your blood vess...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Do they have any side effects? What should I do if I miss a dose? Are there foods, other medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements that may change how well my cholesterol medicines work? What is a heart-healthy diet?Heart-healthy dietYour body needs cholesterol to work well. But cholesterol levels that are too high can harm you. In the US, blood cholesterol is most often measured...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article What are low-fat foods? What types of fat are OK for me to eat? How can I read a food label to know how much fat it has? Is it ever OK to eat something that is not heart healthy? What are some ways to eat healthy when I go to a restaurant? Can I ever go to a fast-food restaurant again? Do I need to limit how much salt I use? Can I use other spices to make my food taste good? Is it OK to drink any alcohol? What can I do to stop smoking?Should I start an exercise program?Is it safe for me to exercise on my own? Where should I exercise, inside or outside? Which activities are better to start with? Are there activities or exercises that are not safe for me? Can I exercise most days? How long and how hard can I exercise? What symptoms may I need to watch out for? Open ReferencesReferencesArnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al. 2019 ACC/AHA guideline on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2020;141(16):e774. PMID: 30879355 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30879355/.Genest J, Mora S, Libby P. Lipoprotein disorders and cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 27.Grundy SM, Stone NJ, Bailey AL, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline on the management of blood cholesterol: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(24):3234-3237. PMID: 30423391 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30423391/.Hensrud DD. Diet and nutrition. In: Goldman L, Cooney, KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 13.Mora S, Libby P, Ridker PM. Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 25.Mozaffarian D. Nutrition and cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 29.
