Myth: You don’t need a cholesterol check until middle age.
Fact: The AHA recommends that adults 20 and older have their cholesterol and other risk factors checked every four to six years.
Myth: Cholesterol isn’t a concern for children.
Fact: High cholesterol can be inherited, resulting in a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia. Children with this genetic disorder are at a very high risk of heart disease. It is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated worldwide. Once diagnosed, children with this condition may need aggressive treatment with medications.
Myth: Skinny people don’t have high cholesterol.
Fact: While overweight people are more likely to have high cholesterol levels, thin people can be affected as well. People who don’t easily gain weight are often less aware of how much saturated and trans fat they eat.
Myth: Only men need to worry about cholesterol.
Fact: Men and women tend to see higher cholesterol levels as they get older, and weight gain contributes to higher levels. Premenopausal women have some protection from high levels of bad cholesterol compared to men, because estrogen is highest during childbearing years and tends to raise good cholesterol levels.
Myth: You should wait for your doctor to mention cholesterol.
Fact: Your health is your responsibility. Starting at age 20, you should ask your doctor to test your cholesterol, assess your risk factors, and estimate your risk of a heart attack or stroke. Once you know your risk, you can take action to lower it. Through diet and lifestyle changes, you can improve your cholesterol. Follow your doctor’s instructions, and have your cholesterol rechecked every four to six years.
Myth: If the Nutrition Facts label shows no cholesterol, a food is “heart-healthy.”
Fact: Knowing what to look for is important when choosing foods. Many foods marked as “low cholesterol” have high levels of saturated or trans fats, both of which raise blood cholesterol levels. Look for the amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, and total calories in a serving. Choose products on which fats and oils appear near the end of the ingredients list.
Myth: Using margarine instead of butter will help lower cholesterol.
Fact: While butter has a high amount of saturated fat and some trans fat, which raises bad cholesterol levels, many hard margarines have high amounts of trans fat and saturated fat that are still bad for your cholesterol. The healthiest choice is liquid margarine or a soft margarine in a tub, either of which is made with vegetable oils. Look for margarines that say 0g trans fat on the nutrition label.