It hasn’t been since the past couple of decades that people have actually started paying attention to cholesterol levels in food. The FDA has made proper labeling of foods in terms of sugar, sodium, fat and protein content mandatory. For this reason it is simple to check the cholesterol levels in foods you eat. If you find that cholesterol levels in food list and menu items are high then you may opt to choose something else. This is especially true if you have already been diagnosed with LDL cholesterol levels that are too high. In addition there are a lot of publications that have been released showing the list of cholesterol levels in foods which are commonly consumed on a daily basis. Older people are usually more susceptible to higher cholesterol levels but this does not mean that a young person cannot have levels that are abnormally high. Obese people, no matter what age are prone to things like high cholesterol and hypertension. There have been many studies done over the years that point to high LDL cholesterol being the blame for specific heart conditions and arterial blockages. Some studies show that cholesterol levels in women are often higher as they get older.
The best way to either lower your cholesterol or keep it low is to focus primarily on the content of cholesterol in what you choose to eat. You should also be making sure that you get an adequate amount of physical exercise each and every day. Cardiovascular activities such as running, swimming and even brisk walking are some of the best types of exercises to do in order to help get your body in shape. A healthy body will almost always result in healthy cholesterol levels as well. You may also want to try and remember that cholesterol levels may change from day to day depending on what you have consumed. This means you could walk into the doctors office with cholesterol levels that are sky rocketing one day and not the next. This is what makes regular monitoring of cholesterol levels so very important.
If you are diagnosed with high LDL cholesterol this is a matter that should be taken quite seriously. There may be times when your doctor will ask you to start taking specific prescription drugs if your cholesterol levels are too high. You can definitely count on the fact that your doctor will ask you to change your diet drastically as well as start exercising.