Recommendations for Patients with High Blood Cholesterol

1/ Blood lipids include two main types: • Triglycerides (TG) • Cholesterol

Cholesterol itself includes two types, LDL and HDL. An increase in HDL reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, whereas an increase in LDL has the opposite effect, that is, it raises the risk of heart disease.

2/ Cholesterol is the second blood lipid and the most dangerous factor in causing coronary artery diseases. Not following a proper diet, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity increase the body's harmful cholesterol.

3/ If a person also has the other risk factors for coronary heart disease, controlling blood cholesterol is even more important in such a person.

4/ High blood lipids are usually without outward symptoms.

5/ The normal level of blood cholesterol is less than 220 mg/dL, and values of 230–250 carry a moderate risk, 250–280 a relatively high risk, and at values above 280 a high risk threatens the person.

6/ To treat and reduce blood cholesterol according to its level, if it is up to moderate and relatively high values, diet therapy, exercise, and weight loss are used in the first stage. If this is unsuccessful (after three months), a more restricted diet is recommended, and in the third stage, if blood lipids do not decrease, the use of medication is necessary.

7/ If a person has coronary heart disease (a heart attack or angina pectoris), it is better to keep the cholesterol level below 200. In some cases, by keeping blood cholesterol at this level, the narrowing of the vessels may gradually decrease.

8/ In general, if your blood cholesterol level is high, you should avoid eating foods fried in solid oil, chicken skin, fatty foods such as kalleh-pacheh, liver, red meat, cold cuts, sausages, and fatty meat dishes. French fries and chips contain large amounts of cholesterol, and some call them a cholesterol bomb; also, excessive consumption of cocoa, cream, and clotted cream is very harmful.

9/ Eating vegetables, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, onion, squash, lettuce and carrots, pickles, beans, lentils, barley, and fish is beneficial for you. Try to eat fish three times a week. Consuming olives and olive oil in reasonable amounts is beneficial.

10/ Some foods contain a large amount of fat; the available cheeses contain about 5% fat. Try to use low-fat cheeses, avoid consuming high-fat milk; consuming low-fat yogurt, doogh, and milk is fine.

11/ For successful control of cholesterol levels, the matter of the type of diet should be discussed within the family. The lady of the house should be aware of the importance of this issue, and food should be prepared with a suitable meal plan. Cookbooks that teach how to prepare food with various types of fish and how to prepare low-fat dishes are effective in this regard.

12/ Following a diet does not mean saying goodbye to the pleasures of eating. God has created so many varied and delicious foods that if you have a regular plan and acquire sufficient knowledge, you can, while enjoying a suitable diet, reduce your blood lipid levels.

13/ If, due to high lipids, you are obliged to use a medication regimen, the use of this medication, like blood pressure medications, must be long-term, and you should not discontinue the medication on your own after starting it.

14/ After starting the medications, the doctor may find it necessary to change the type of your medication. Until the most suitable form of medication for treating the illness becomes clear, the doctor may change the medications several times.