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LoginHigh Cholesterol (Hypercholesterolemia)
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the fats (lipids) in your blood. Cholesterol in the blood comes from liver production and the foods you eat. Your body uses cholesterol to build healthy cells; however, high levels of cholesterol in the blood increase your risk for heart disease. Too much cholesterol in the blood can create fatty deposits in the blood vessels that over time make it difficult for blood to flow through the arteries. This reduces the amount of oxygen-rich blood getting to the heart which increases the risk of heart attack. The decreased blood flow to your brain can cause a stroke. A healthy level of total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL, with borderline levels between 200 and 239, and any reading over 240 being considered high.
High cholesterol is also known as hypercholesterolemia or hyperlipidemia. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), more than 35 million people have high cholesterol, but more than 100 million people are at or above healthy levels. High cholesterol can be inherited or can be caused from poor dietary habits. While some people require medication, maintaining a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and other lifestyle changes can have a big impact in reducing high cholesterol. HealtheHuman includes a wide range of integrated health tracking features to help you manage high cholesterol. Our software provides all of the health management tools you’ll need to track, understand, and manage your high cholesterol.
Key Health Information to Track for High Cholesterol
Logging your total cholesterol reading is the primary measurement you will need to track in order to manage high cholesterol. While total cholesterol is the determination for hypercholesterolemia, it is important to know that there are two different types of cholesterol. HDL, or high-density lipoproteins, is the good type of cholesterol because it helps prevent arteries from becoming clogged. LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, is the bad type of cholesterol because it can build up on the walls of arteries, creating blockages and contributing to heart attacks. In general, higher HDL readings, ideally 60 mg/dL, is considered ideal. There are varying levels for LDL based on other factors, including existing conditions, age, and gender, but in general your LDL readings should be less than 130 mg/dL, and the lower the better. The common blood test for cholesterol, called a lipid panel, also tests triglycerides, a type of fat that is often increased by consuming alcohol and eating sweets. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a triglyceride reading of 100 mg/dL or less. HealtheHuman includes a Cholesterol Tracker that makes it easy to keep track of all of your cholesterol readings, whether from a blood test or home device.
In addition to taking a regular lipid profile, people with high cholesterol often have other tests run, including hormone levels, thyroid function, and blood sugar. High cholesterol is often caused by other conditions, such as underactive thyroid glands or diabetes. The Lab Results Tracker provides features to keep track of all your test results, including details on the location, ordering physician, and each test result. Often times, lab tests are used to quantify the improvements on your high cholesterol when dietary, lifestyle, and medications are introduced into your management plan. You can create charts and reports for any of your test results, checking for changes over time or to produce a detailed history of your readings to bring on visits with your doctor or other health advisors.
One of the most important things you can do to lower your cholesterol is to make dietary changes. Often times, adding and removing a few foods from your diet can have enough impact to get your cholesterol levels down into healthy ranges and prevent the need for medications. Foods that contain trans fats raise LDL levels and lower HDL levels, so they can have negative impacts on people with high cholesterol. There are a number of foods that have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels, including oatmeal, oat-bran and other high-fiber foods. Fish, fish oil, and omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to improve cholesterol levels, as well as almonds, walnuts, and olive oil. HealtheHuman includes a powerful tool for you to track and improve your diet, including functions to monitor the nutrition levels in each food for each meal, as well as your key nutrition totals per day for saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber, sugar, and more. The Diet and Nutrition Tracker also includes an integrated goal feature, charting, analysis tools, and reports.
The primary source of dietary cholesterol comes from consuming animal products, including meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. Organ meats are particularly high in cholesterol, such as liver. It is important to keep track of your intake of dietary cholesterol if you are managing high cholesterol. The Diet and Nutrition Tracker includes a database of over 40,000 foods, including cholesterol levels, fat content, sugar, fiber, calories, and more. Keeping a food diary with HealtheHuman will help you discover and manage your intake of cholesterol.
Studies have shown that high cholesterol is often associated with waist circumference, especially for men with a waist over 40 inches and women with a waist measurement over 35 inches. People with this type of body shape are more likely to develop heart disease and have high cholesterol levels. You can track all of your body measurements in HealtheHuman, set goals to reduce your waist measurement, and calculate your waist-to-height ratio and other key body metrics. With the Body Measurement Tracker, you can chart your changes over time and produce reports to share with your doctors, personal trainers, and other health advisors.
People who are overweight or obese tend to have increased levels of “bad cholesterol” (LDL) as well as lower levels of “good cholesterol” (HDL). Losing weight can reverse these levels, especially for people who are obese or have larger waist measurements. Maintaining a healthy weight can have a significant impact on high cholesterol, especially when combined with dietary changes and regular exercise. There are a number of features in HealtheHuman to help with weight management, including tools to track your diet, log your exercise, record your body composition scale readings, track your body measurements, and even log skin caliper readings.
Exercise is an important part of being healthy, which is especially true for people with high cholesterol. Just 30 minutes a day of exercise can help reduce your cholesterol levels. Staying active throughout the day, every day of the week, helps all systems in your body, including your circulatory system. The Exercise and Workout Tracker in HealtheHuman makes it easy to track all of your exercise as well as other common activities that keep you moving.
Cholesterol levels have been shown to change or increase with higher levels of female hormones. Significant changes in hormone levels, as with a pregnancy, can impact cholesterol levels and be an important factor to watch for if you are managing high cholesterol. Use of birth control medications and natural hormone cycles might also impact cholesterol readings. The Women’s Health Tracker in HealtheHuman helps women keep track of their menstruation and ovulation cycles.
Sometimes, lifestyle and diet changes are not enough to control cholesterol levels and medications are needed. There are a number of prescriptions that are used to lower cholesterol levels, including statins, absorption inhibitors, fibrates, bile acid sequestrants, niacin, and others. Over time, many people take different medications to treat their high cholesterol or other health conditions. Certain medications, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, and some of the drugs used to treat depression might increase cholesterol levels. Higher levels of female hormones might also increase cholesterol levels, so it is important to track use of birth control pills or estrogen. It is important to keep accurate and detailed records of all your prescriptions as well as your use of medications. The Medication Tracker in HealtheHuman includes a complete database of all FDA approved medications, including those prescribed to treat hypercholesterolemia. With this feature, you can setup your prescriptions and easily log your medication usage. When combined with the other tracking tools, you can create charts and reports of changes in your cholesterol levels since starting a new prescription, diet, or lifestyle change.
Vitamins and supplements might also be a part of your treatment or diet plan from your health advisor. Fiber drinks or supplements, as well as fish oils and other omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help control and lower cholesterol levels. It is important to keep accurate records of all of your vitamins and supplements, especially if you are also taking medications for high cholesterol. The Supplement Tracker helps you log and track your vitamins and supplements, including numerous charting and reporting options to make it easy to share this information with your doctor or other health advisor.
Diabetes can increase cholesterol levels. Insulin is an important hormone in the way the body metabolizes both sugar and fat. Any impact on insulin levels can also affect cholesterol levels. Diabetes can also reduce the amount of “good cholesterol” (HDL) in the blood. The Blood Glucose Tracker provides a comprehensive set of tools to log blood sugar levels throughout the day. Tracking both your cholesterol and blood glucose levels in one integrated site is the primary benefit of using a tool like HealtheHuman to manage all aspects of your health.
Keeping your doctors informed on your medical history is an important part of your care, and could have an impact on their course of treatment. Make sure to provide your physicians and other health advisors with as much detail on your past medical conditions, procedures, surgeries, hospitalizations, or any other relevant aspect of your health. The various health history features of HealtheHuman can help you build and share your comprehensive health history with all your health advisors.
Other Things You Can Do to Help Manage Your High Cholesterol
While it is important to track your key health information related to your high cholesterol, one of the main reasons to log all of this information is to create more effective and meaningful visits with your doctors, specialists, and other health advisors. Maintaining regular appointments with your treating physicians and specialists is vital to your long-term success. It is important to keep your appointments with your doctor and to provide as much detail as possible to make their treatments, recommendations, and prescriptions as effective as possible.
Consuming alcohol increases your triglycerides, which can affect your blood cholesterol levels. Regular or heavy use of alcohol increases your risk for developing high cholesterol. Limiting your consumption of alcohol to no more than 1 drink a day for women and no more than 2 drinks a day for men can help lower and control your cholesterol levels.
While smoking does not cause higher cholesterol levels, it does reduce your “good cholesterol” (HDL) levels. If you smoke, consider quitting for your overall health. Make sure to talk to your doctor about ways to help stop smoking.
Other Resources
National Institutes of Health, MedlinePlus, High Cholesterol
American Heart Association, Cholesterol
Medical Disclaimer: All information on this site is of a general nature and is furnished for your knowledge and understanding only. This information is not to be taken as medical or other health advice pertaining to your specific health and medical condition.
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