No matter what time of year it is, it’s always important to understand the role cholesterol plays in a person’s heart health. This month’s focus is on cholesterol education and promoting an awareness that high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke. The Healthwise Knowledgebase is full of resources to help people learn why it’s important to know their cholesterol levels, what their numbers mean, and what they can do to improve their heart disease risk. This June, help your patients learn about this important health condition by linking to this information on your site.
Cholesterol-fighting food choices
Did you know that certain foods will raise your cholesterol levels and that other foods might help you lower them? This handy chart showing cholesterol-lowering foods can help you find out what changes in your diet may lower your cholesterol. Afraid you’ll never be able to eat red meat again or enjoy dairy products? This chart also lists healthy cuts of meat (yes, even red meat) and low-fat dairy products along with, grains, fruits and vegetables, and fats and oils that can help reduce your cholesterol numbers. [Create a hyperlink to the High Cholesterol: Healthy Food Choices Topic Overview on your website. DOCHWID=zp3105abc]
What is cholesterol?
You probably hear about cholesterol every time you turn on the TV. But what exactly is it? Is it all bad? Or are there good and bad types of cholesterol? This helpful guide will answer those questions and others like “Why does cholesterol matter?” “What affects my cholesterol levels?” and “How is cholesterol tested?” You’ll also learn how cholesterol can affect your risk of heart attack and stroke and what you can do about it. [Create a hyperlink to the High Cholesterol Topic Overview on your website. DOCHWID=hw115432]
Making lifestyle changes to fight high cholesterol
There’s a lot you can do to help lower your cholesterol. Before your doctor recommends medicines, she might suggest that you try making changes to your lifestyle: things like eating healthier food, losing weight if you need to, and getting or staying active. This guide discusses helpful, cholesterol-fighting changes you can make to help you follow your doctor’s advice. It outlines how you can make healthier food choices at the grocery store and also when you’re eating out. And it describes how to slowly build activity into your daily life so you can make it a part of your routine from now on to help lower your cholesterol and keep it down. [Create a hyperlink to the High Cholesterol: Making Lifestyle Changes Action Set on your website. DOCHWID=aba5690]
Treating your high cholesterol
There’s more to battling cholesterol than just lowering your cholesterol numbers. It’s really about lowering your chance of having a heart attack or stroke. There are lifestyle changes you can make and medicines called statins that will help you win the fight. This guide helps you plan how you might eat heart-healthy foods and get active. It also discusses the risks and benefits of taking statins, who they are recommended for, and other medicines your doctor might prescribe. [Create a hyperlink to the Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines Topic Overview on your website. DOCHWID=zp3027]
Social Media Posts
- Find out how changes in your diet may help lower your cholesterol. [Insert a shortened URL to High Cholesterol: Healthy Food Choices Topic Overview on your website. DOCHWID=zp3105abc]
- Use this guide to understand the good and bad of cholesterol. [Insert a shortened URL to the High Cholesterol Topic Overview on your website. DOCHWID=hw115432]
- Learn what lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. [Insert a shortened URL to the High Cholesterol: Making Lifestyle Changes Action Set on your website. DOCHWID=aba5690]
- Learn how to make a plan to lower your cholesterol. [Insert a shortened URL to the Cholesterol Treatment Guidelines Topic Overview on your website. DOCHWID=zp3027]
- Understand the risks and benefits of taking statins. [Insert a shortened URL to the Statins: Should I Take Them to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke? Decision Point on your website. DOCHWID=aa44406]
Statins: Should I take them to prevent a heart attack or stroke?
So your doctor is talking to you about taking statins to lower your cholesterol and decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke. You may want to have a say in whether or not you take this step. Your personal feelings about this decision are just as important as the medical facts. This useful guide will help you understand the information you’ve been given about statins and compare your options. It will help you explore your feelings about the decision. There’s even a quiz to make sure you understand all the information you’ve been given about the risks and benefits of taking a statin to help prevent a heart attack or stroke. [Create a hyperlink to the Statins: Should I Take Them to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke? Decision Point on your website. DOCHWID=aa44406]
Contact Practis to learn more about adding the Healthwise Knowledgebase to your healthcare website. The health library feed covers over 7,000 medical topics, including the ones listed above.