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by: ARA
When it comes to heart disease risk factors -- like high
blood cholesterol and high blood pressure -- one plus one can equal
three, five or even nine times higher risk! Adding risk factors can
actually multiply your risk.
You can’t change some risk factors, like your age or family history.
But you can change others, like high cholesterol. That’s good news.
Here’s more good news: The American Heart Association offers a free
program called The Cholesterol Low Down that can help you learn
about your risk for heart disease. The program urges you to do three
things to help protect your heart:
1) Visit your doctor.
Even if you feel healthy, see your doctor regularly. Make an
appointment to talk about heart disease risk.
2) Know your cholesterol numbers.
High cholesterol is one of the leading risk factors for heart
disease. If you are over 20 years old, you need to know your
cholesterol numbers.
3) Know your other risk factors for heart disease.
Many things can put you at risk for heart disease. Your risk is much
higher when you have more than one risk factor. High cholesterol is
one risk factor you should know; others are listed below. Make it a
priority to take control of the ones you can change.
* Cigarette smoking
* Family history of heart disease
* Diet high in fatty foods (like cheese and creams)
* Age
* High blood pressure
* Diabetes
* Excess weight
* High triglycerides
* Too much alcohol (more than one drink each day for women, and more
than two drinks each day for men)
Actress Valerie Harper (“Rhoda”) recently learned that she has high
cholesterol, which, along with a family history of heart disease,
increases her risk. Harper is working with her doctor to lower her
cholesterol through diet, exercise and medication.
Join The Cholesterol Low Down TODAY
Call 1-800-AHA-USA1 (1-800-242-8721) or visit americanheart.org/cld.
As a member, you’ll get:
* A checklist of questions to ask your doctor
* An online risk calculator to determine your 10-year risk for heart
disease
* A brochure and newsletters to answer your questions about
cholesterol and heart disease
* A health book with tips for heart-smart living
* A cookbook of heart-healthy recipes
Courtesy of ARA Content
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
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