Test Your Cholesterol IQ (4pg)

Article # 6 (optional) --Test Your Cholesterol IQ

How Much You Know Could Save Your Life

High blood cholesterol increases your risk for heart disease, still the #1 killer of American men and women. With September being Cholesterol Awareness Month, now is the perfect time to have your blood cholesterol level checked. The test is quick, simple and inexpensive. Experts say you should be checked at least every five years and more often if any you have any of these risk factors: family history of heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes or a previously high cholesterol level. Talk to your personal physician about how often you should be tested.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat naturally produced by the body and also found in certain foods. When there’s too much cholesterol in the blood, it can build up inside the arteries, causing them to restrict your blood flow, eventually producing heart and circulation problems.

So what’s your Cholesterol IQ?

Answer these questions True or False and check how you did below.

1. Cholesterol continues to increase as you age.

2. Smoking can raise your cholesterol level.

3. Cholesterol levels can never be too low.

4. Women who have been through menopause have healthier levels of cholesterol.

5. High blood pressure is one of the symptoms of high cholesterol.

6. A 10% reduction in cholesterol results in a 30% decrease in your

risk for heart disease.

1. True. Cholesterol levels do rise as you get older, however that increase stops around age 65.

2. True. Smoking increases the likelihood of blood clots.

3. False. We need a certain amount of cholesterol to be healthy.

4. False. The opposite it true. Women who are past menopause have higher cholesterol levels.

5. False. High cholesterol has NO symptoms. That’s the reason it’s so important to be checked.

6. True. A small decrease in your cholesterol can make a BIG difference.