The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
In This Article
Introduction
High blood cholesterol kills. In 2023, high LDL cholesterol was associated with an estimated 3.6 million deaths worldwide. It also played a role in disability, affecting an estimated 90.7 million years of healthy life worldwide through diseases such as heart disease and stroke.
In Ghana, it is estimated that at least 4 in 10 adults aged 45 years and older have high cholesterol.
High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. The risk of developing high cholesterol can be influenced by acquired factors, inherited factors, or a combination of both. Blood cholesterol levels also tend to increase with age, particularly from 20 years and above.
Adults should have their cholesterol checked from age 20. If your cholesterol levels are within the healthy range and you do not have additional risk factors, cholesterol testing may be repeated about every 5 years.
If your cholesterol levels are elevated, more frequent testing is recommended. When you start or change a cholesterol-lowering plan, your lipid profile may be repeated after about 4–12 weeks to assess your response and determine whether further management is needed.
Signs and Symptoms
High cholesterol usually causes no obvious symptoms—even when the levels are very high. You may feel completely well while your cholesterol is gradually increasing.
Check your cholesterol regularly if you have one or more of the following:
- Easy fatigue
- Numbness in the hands or feet,
- Poor wound healing in the leg,
- Painful walking that disappears with rest,
- Sexual weakness in men
- Heart attack or stroke.
If you check you cholesterol (lipid profile) and levels are very high and you need help understanding the result, you can Click Here.
Monitoring High Cholesterol
Your cholesterol levels can change over time. They may increase again if the factors contributing to high cholesterol are not adequately addressed or if a sustainable cholesterol-lowering approach is not maintained. This is why checking your cholesterol regularly is important.
Check your cholesterol levels—also called a lipid profile or lipid panel—regularly to monitor how they are changing over time. A lipid panel measures total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.
For many people with a history of high cholesterol, testing several times a year may be appropriate, particularly when starting or changing a cholesterol-lowering approach.
Repeat testing is generally recommended every 4–12 weeks. Individualized timing depends on the individual’s cholesterol levels, management plan, risk of heart disease and stroke, and healthcare professional’s recommendations.
If you check you cholesterol (lipid profile) and levels are very high and you need help understanding the result, you can Chat With a Dietitian.
Caring for High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is often a chronic condition. It cannot simply be treated once and forgotten about. It often requires lifelong management in order to keep the cholesterol levels as low as possible for as long as you live.
Care for high cholesterol include:
- Dietary modification
- Healthy weight
- Physical activity
- Prescribed medication
Dietary Modification
Dietary modification can lower blood cholesterol by about 5–20% depending on the individual and the severity of high cholesterol. A heart-healthy diet can maintain blood cholesterol levels within normal limits.
Eating foods high in soluble fiber that lower cholesterol is part of the dietary modifications you need to maintain normal blood cholesterol. Getting 5 to 10 g of soluble fiber per day can lower blood cholesterol by 5 to 10% within 8–12 weeks.
Only 1 out of 20 adults gets the recommended amount of soluble fiber that lowers blood cholesterol. In our 5 Meal Plans to Lower Cholesterol, we planned meals in the Ghanaian context to provide more than 5 g of soluble fiber.
5 Meal Plans to Lower Cholesterol
We planned meals in the Ghanaian context to provide 5 g of soluble fiber.