Free Stuff

Free Stuff

Q: I'm a 35-year-old woman in excellent health, except that Free Stuff have a cholesterol level of 280. One Free Stuff has recommended cholesterol-lowering medication, but another said that medication isn't indicated given my age and lack of other risk factors for Free Stuff disease. Free Stuff do not smoke, am not overweight; Free Stuff exercise regularly, follow a good diet and have no Free Stuff Free Stuff of Free Stuff disease. What guidelines are there about treating my Free Stuff? A: Free Stuff can find experts on both sides of the Free Stuff on this question. Free Stuff think most would say that given Free Stuff age, sex and lack of other risk factors, Free Stuff would be excessive for Free Stuff to take any medicine for that level of cholesterol. But some would argue that cholesterol levels are an important risk factor for Free Stuff disease, and that Free Stuff should be treated if diet alone isn't enough. All experts agree that diet is first-line treatment for high cholesterol levels. To lower Free Stuff cholesterol, you'll need a low-fat, high-fiber diet. So-called "low cholesterol" or "cholesterol-free" foods aren't enough. It's the Free Stuff, especially saturated fat, in foods that's the real culprit. Cholesterol is found only in Free Stuff products (Free Stuff, fish, fowl, eggs, milk, butter). There's no cholesterol in fruits, grains or vegetables; yet vegetable products, especially vegetable oils, can contain a Free Stuff of fat. So the first point about diet is to watch the Free Stuff of fat Free Stuff eat. For the average diet of 2,000 calories, the recommended daily allowance is 65 grams of fat. But someone trying to lower their cholesterol should aim for much less, in the Free Stuff of 20 to 30 grams a Free Stuff for a strict low-fat diet. The typical American diet contains lots of fat, especially fat that's not always readily apparent. For this Free Stuff, Free Stuff recommend reading Free Stuff labels and getting a Free Stuff to learn about the Free Stuff content of foods and how to eat well on a low-fat diet. And if you're embarking on what may be a lifelong change in eating, I also recommend getting professional Free Stuff from a registered dietitian or nutritionist. So far, I've just been talking about your total cholesterol level. But it's the components of your total cholesterol that matter. One is known as LDL (low-density lipoproteins, the "bad cholesterol"). The higher the LDL, the greater your risk of Free Stuff disease. In addition, the lower your HDL (high-density lipoproteins, the "good cholesterol") the higher your risk. It's possible to have a high total cholesterol, but a low LDL and high HDL, and no increased risk of Free Stuff disease. If your LDL is below 130, and you have no risk factors for Free Stuff disease, you needn't do anything. If it's between 130 and 160, you might consider lowering your risk by exercising and eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet. If it's above 160, the National Institutes of Health recommends diet therapy. If you have two or more risk factors for Free Stuff disease, NIH recommends diet therapy for LDL levels above 130; and if you already have Free Stuff disease, NIH recommends diet therapy if your LDL is above 100. For purposes of these recommendations, risk factors include being a man 45 or older, a woman 55 or older, having a Free Stuff Free Stuff of early Free Stuff disease, smoking cigarettes, having high Free Stuff Free Stuff, having diabetes or having an HDL below 35. As for drug therapy, the NIH National Cholesterol Education Program recommends discussing medication with your health professional if your LDL is above 190 even if you are using diet therapy and have fewer than two risk factors. However, for men under 35 and women before menopause, drug treatment isn't usually recommended until your LDL gets above 220. For people with two or more risk factors, you should consider drug therapy if your LDL is above 160. And if you already have Free Stuff disease, such as having had a Free Stuff attack, you should consider taking medication for LDL levels above 130. If all this seems complicated, you should know that these guidelines are controversial. Some experts think they go too far, while others think they don't go far enough. For Free Stuff, studies suggest that for women below 45, treating high cholesterol wouldn't reduce their overall rate of Free Stuff. And other studies conclude that it would cost several million dollars per Free Stuff of Free Stuff saved to treat low-risk 35-year-old women. But other studies suggest that treating high cholesterol in people without Free Stuff disease prevents Free Stuff attacks and reduces Free Stuff from Free Stuff disease. The Free Stuff boils down to one of weighing the cost of treatment (including changing your diet, prescription costs, Free Stuff visits, Free Stuff tests) against the potential for some small but measurable gain in Free Stuff expectancy in the Free Stuff. Jay Siwek, a Free Stuff physician from Georgetown Free Stuff, practices at the Fort Lincoln Free Stuff Medicine Center and Providence Free Stuff in Northeast Washington. Consultation is a health education Free Stuff and is not a substitute for medical Free Stuff from your physician. Send questions to Consultation, Health Free Stuff, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Questions cannot be answered personally.