High Cholesterol

Your body uses cholesterol to build cell walls and to make certain vitamins and hormones. Your body uses triglycerides as stored fat. Stored fat keeps you warm, protects your body's organs, and gives you energy reserves.

Cholesterol and triglycerides travel through your body in your blood. These two blood fats can only travel by being carried. They are carried by lipoproteins (lipo means fat). Three kinds of lipoproteins are:

1. Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), VLDL carries triglycerides, cholesterol, and other fats. VLDL drops off triglycerides and other fats in fat tissue. VLDL then becomes LDL.
2. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL carries cholesterol to parts of the body that need it. Along the way, LDL cholesterol can stick to blood vessel walls. Cholesterol on blood vessel walls can lead to blood vessel disease. The less LDL in your blood, the better.
3. High-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL carries cholesterol away from the blood vessel walls to the liver. The liver breaks the cholesterol down and sends it out of  the body. The more HDL in your blood, the better.

People with diabetes often have high blood fat levels. High blood fat levels put you at risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke, If you want to reduce your risk, first find out what your blood fat levels are.

The Healthiest Blood Fat Levels Are

• Total cholesterol under 200 mg/dl
• LDL cholesterol under 130 mg/dl
• HDL cholesterol over 35 mg/dl
• triglycerides under 200 mg/dl

To Improve Blood Fat Levels

1. First, control your diabetes. Controlling your diabetes means keeping your blood glucose in a range set by your doctor. When your diabetes is out of control, none of the other steps will help.
2. If you are overweight, lose a few pounds. Extra weight makes it harder to control blood glucose and raises total cholesterol.
3. Start cutting back on all fat. Your liver uses the fat you eat to make VLDL. The more fat you eat, the more VLDL the liver makes. More VLDL means more bad LDL cholesterol.
4. Replace saturated fats (butter, lard) with unsaturated fats (most vegetable oils). Saturated fats raise your LDL and total cholesterol levels. Unsaturated fats lower them.
5. Eat high-cholesterol foods less often. Foods high in cholesterol include organ meats, such as liver, and egg yolks. If you eat eggs every day, try cutting back to three to four times a week.
6. Eat foods high in fiber. Some types of fiber help remove cholesterol form the body. Oats, beans, peas, fresh  fruits, and brown rice are great fiber choices.
7. Take a hike or go for a walk. Aerobic exercises, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and skiing, raise your good HDL cholesterol. Find exercises you enjoy.
8. If you smoke, cut down or quit. Smoking lowers your good HDL cholesterol.

Note: Have your blood fat levels tested at least once a year, or more often if your doctor recommends it.

Source: Information from the book Diabetes A to Z available from the American Diabetes Association.