Cholesterol and
Heart Health
Meghan Harrison
Chen Du
Dietetic Intern
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas
What comes to mind when you
hear the word cholesterol?
Overview
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What is cholesterol?
Is cholesterol bad?
Where does cholesterol come from?
How does cholesterol affect heart health?
What do I do, if my doctor tells me that my cholesterol
level is high?
• Meal remix activity
• Salad sampling
What is cholesterol?
• Waxy, fat like substance that is found in all cells of our
body
National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute Web Site, Accessed October 9, 2014.
Is cholesterol bad?
• It is essential to our body!
o Building blocks of hormones, bile salt, vitamin D
Bile Salt(Cholesterol)
American Heart Association Web Site, Accessed October 9, 2014.
Where does cholesterol
come from?
• Comes from 2 sources
o Body produces it in liver
o Food sources
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Meats, poultry, fish
Eggs
Butter, whole milk
Cheese
Not from plant sources
How does cholesterol affect Heart health?
Transportation of Cholesterol
• Transferred through blood
• Carriers: LDL vs. HDL
o LDL: function as a “glue”
o HDL: function as a “scraper”
Developing Health Habits Web Site. Accessed October 9, 2014.
The Problem with LDL
Cholesterol
LDL
Platelets
Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web Site. Accessed October 9, 2014
Cholesterol and Heart
Hardening of
arteries
LDL
cholesterol
deposit
Plaques
Plaques
rupture
Narrowing of
arteries
Formation of Arterial
blood clots blockage
Chest pain
Heart Attack
Heart Attack
True or False?
If my doctor tells me that I have a high
cholesterol level, the only thing I can
do is to take medication.
What Affects Cholesterol
Level?
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Dietary choices
Physical activity
Weight
Age
Gender
Heredity
HDL
LDL
Lower LDL, Raise HDL
• Minimize unhealthy fat intake
o Saturated Fat, Trans Fat
• Moderate amount of healthy fat
o Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated fat
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Fiber from legumes, fruit, and vegetables
Weight loss
Stop smoking
Exercise
Choose Healthy Fat
HelpGuide.org Web Site. Accessed October 12, 2014.
Mended Heart Web Site. Accessed October 9, 2014.
Mended Heart Web Site. Accessed October 9, 2014.
Physical Activity
• Aim for at least 30 minutes/day
• Does not happen all at once, start with:
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Park farther away
Take stairs
Walk short distances
Take a walk with friend
Have family fun
Mended Heart Web Site. Accessed October 9, 2014.
Time to exercise your
knowledge!
Meal Remix:
James is a 65 year-old retiree who lives with his wife Betty. He enjoys being outdoors but
just re-located to a more urban area and doesn’t spend as much time outside as he
used to. Lately, eating out often has been the norm.
Here’s what James had for dinner last night at a restaurant:
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Fried chicken leg and thigh
Mashed potatoes with gravy
Corn on the cob with butter
Green beans
Salad with ranch dressing
3 biscuits with butter
Diet coke
What healthy changes can we make to his meal?
Take Home Messages
• Cholesterol is essential!
• LDL functions as a “glue”, and HDL functions as a
“scraper”
• Eliminate Saturated Fat and Trans Fat
• Monounsaturated fat and Polyunsaturated Fat are your
better friends
• Have more fiber
• Get moving
• Be creative with your salad!
References
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What is cholesterol? National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute Web Site.
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/hbc/ Published September 19, 2012.
Accessed October 9, 2014.
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About cholesterol. American Heart Association Web Site.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/AboutCholesterol_UCM_001220_Article.jsp Published April 21, 2014. Updated July 31, 2014. Accessed
October 9, 2014.
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Cholesterol- Blessing or Curse? Developing Health Habits Web Site.
http://developinghealthyhabits.com/cholesterol-blessing-or-curse/ Published Feburary 1, 2011.
Accessed October 9, 2014.
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Cholesterol. Center for Disease Control and Prevention Web Site.
http://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/faqs.htm Published Janurary 30, 2012. Accessed October 9, 2014.
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Choosing Healthy Fat. HelpGuide.org Web Site. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthyeating/choosing-healthy-fats.htm Updated October, 2014. Accessed October 12, 2014.
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Heart Pack Patient Education. Mended Heart Web site. http://mendedhearts.org/education
Updated 2014. Accessed October 9, 2014.
Thank you for joining us!
Contact Information
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Chen Du
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas Dietetic Intern
Email: chendunolan@gmail.com
Cell phone: 856-287-0490
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Meghan Harrison
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas Dietetic Intern
Email: meghanharrisonhandwriting@gmail.com
Cell phone: 469-951-1688