According to Dr. Melissa Tracy, MD, a cardiologist and the director of cardiac rehab at Rush University System for Health in Chicago, one of the primary causes of high cholesterol is a diet consisting primarily of fast foods and ultra-processed foods.
“The American diet is overburdened with sources of cholesterol. When we are looking for a quick, easy meal, we typically resort to fast food. Fast food, with the processed meats and French fries, are loaded with cholesterol and fat,” she says. Besides processed meats and fried foods, Dr. Tracy notes that other foods that can raise cholesterol when eaten regularly are processed desserts, butter and cheese.
If you have high cholesterol, regardless of the reason, lowering it is crucial to protecting your health. How long does it take? Even though high cholesterol is years in the making, you can lower it faster than you probably think.
?SIGN UP for tips to stay healthy & fit with the top moves, clean eats, health trends & more delivered right to your inbox twice a week?
Md Zakir Mahmud
“Activity is absolutely the most essential [action] we can take. We have to be moving,” Dr. Burke says, explaining that the more you move throughout the day, the healthier you will be.
If you want to create an exercise routine that can help lower your cholesterol, a great place to start is with the American Heart Association’s guidelines. These guidelines recommend getting at least 150 minutes (2.5 hours) of heart-pumping physical activity a week, which comes out to about 25 minutes a day.
Remember how Dr. Tracy said that an unhealthy diet is one of the major drivers of high cholesterol? This also means that diet can be a powerful way to reduce cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol, Dr. Burke recommends following the Mediterranean diet or DASH diet, two eating plans that are scientifically shown to reduce LDL cholesterol. Both of these eating plans emphasize eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and poultry while minimizing ultra-processed foods high in refined carbs, sugar and sodium.
That said, she emphasizes that implementing healthier habits should be done gradually. “Many of the fad weight loss programs are not sustainable, so patients will do them for a very short period of time and then relapse back to their unhealthy patterns."
Dr. Burke also says that six months is a good amount of time to recheck lipid panels because it allows for diet and lifestyle changes to happen gradually and for new habits to stay firmly in place, versus only being followed for a few weeks.
When Is Medication Considered?
Both doctors emphasize that medication is not a replacement for adopting healthy diet and lifestyle habits. Medication works best alongside healthy habits. With this in mind, how long does it take to lower cholesterol when taking a cholesterol-lowering medication as well as having healthy diet and exercise habits in place?
Dr. Tracy explains that six weeks allows for enough time to see if the medication is working or if the dose or drug needs to be changed. She says that this is also enough time to make sure that the medication is not negatively impacting the liver or muscles, which can be a side effect of cholesterol-lowering medications. She adds that if any changes to the dose or drug need to be made, she makes them and then checks the labs again six weeks later.
Up Next:
Related: Why Experts Say This Health Number Matters More Than Cholesterol for Stroke Risk
Sources
Sayed, A., Navar, A. M., Slipczuk, L., et al. (2023). Prevalence, Awareness, and Treatment of Elevated LDL Cholesterol in US Adults, 1999-2020.JAMA Cardiology. 8(12):1185-1187Overview: High cholesterol. InformedHealth.orgDr. Melissa Tracy, MD, cardiologist and the director of cardiac rehab at Rush University System for Health in ChicagoDr. Robert Burke, MD, FACC, cardiologist with Banner Health in Scottsdale, ArizonaAmerican Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids. American Heart AssociationHence then, the article about how long does it take to lower cholesterol cardiologists explain the real timeline was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( How Long Does It Take To Lower Cholesterol? Cardiologists Explain the Real Timeline )
Also on site :
- A Dead Character's Live Text, Justin Trudeau, and a Pity Party: Inside the 'Firefly' Announcement Panel
- Lea Michele Shares Why Recording ‘Nobody’s Side’ From Broadway’s ‘Chess’ Was ‘One of The Most Incredible Moments’ Of Her Career
- Ubisoft are ending game development at long-time Tom Clancy studio Red Storm with 105 staff laid off, according to reports