Managing your risk of heart disease begins with making healthy changes to your diet and getting more exercise. Your doctor may also prescribe cholesterol-lowering medication as part of your management plan.
Taking steps to lower your risk for heart disease starts with knowing which risk factors you have now. The more risk factors you have for heart disease, the greater your risk for having a heart attack or a stroke.
When you understand your individual risk for CVD, you and your doctor can work together to set the right goals for managing your risk factors, including setting goals for your levels of bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and good cholesterol.
How many risk factors do you have? Give yourself one point for each of the following risk factors that you have.
- You smoke cigarettes.
- You have high blood pressure (140/90 mmHg or higher) or you take blood pressure medication.
- You have low good cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL).
- You have a family history of early heart disease (diagnosed in father or brother before age 55; diagnosed in mother or sister before age 65).
- You are a man aged 45 or older; you are a woman aged 55 or older.
- You don't get regular physical activity.
- You are overweight or obese.
- You have diabetes.
Add up your risk factors and then speak with your doctor about setting goals for managing your CVD and cholesterol risk. Your cholesterol, lifestyle and treatment goals will be based on how many risk factors you have.
If you don't know your blood pressure level or your good cholesterol level, you should see your doctor. Your doctor can help you determine whether your blood pressure and good cholesterol levels are putting you at increased risk for CVD.
Once you know your risk, work with your doctor to manage your cholesterol health (bad cholesterol, good cholesterol, and triglycerides). Please print this Doctor Discussion Guide to take with you at your next doctors visit.