High Cholesterol

Lifestyle changes are important to help control high cholesterol, especially if you have other risk factors for Reference heart disease Opens New Window and Reference stroke Opens New Window.

Even if your doctor has prescribed medicine for you, you may still need to make changes at home to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk. Some people can even take less medicine after making these changes.

What changes do you need to make?

Make these lifestyle changes to help lower your cholesterol:

Eat healthy foods

Making healthy eating habits a part of your daily life is one of the best things you can do to lower your cholesterol. Your doctor may recommend that you follow the Reference Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet Opens New Window. The diet's main focus is to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat, because saturated fat raises your cholesterol.

Reference Reference High Cholesterol: Using the TLC Diet

If you have questions about which diet to follow, talk to your doctor.

For more information about food and high cholesterol, see:

• Reference Healthy Food Choices to Lower Cholesterol.
• Reference Foods and Their Effect on Cholesterol.
• Reference Fish, Fish Oil, and Cholesterol.
• Reference Foods to Avoid for High Cholesterol.

Lose extra weight

Losing just 5 lb to 10 lb (2.3 kg to 4.5 kg) can lower your cholesterol. Losing weight can also help lower your blood pressure.

For help, see:

Reference Reference Healthy Eating: Starting a Plan for Change.

Reference Reference Weight Management: Stop Negative Thoughts.

Get active

Regular physical activity raises "good" Reference HDL Opens New Window cholesterol. Reference Getting active has many other benefits too. It can help you lose weight. And it can lower your blood pressure.

For tips, see:

Reference Reference High Cholesterol: Raising Your HDL Level

Reference Reference Fitness: Adding More Activity to Your Life

Reference Exercise and Physical Activity Ideas

Reference Quick Tips: Getting Active at Home

Don't smoke

Quitting can help raise your HDL and improve your heart health. "Good" HDL levels often go up soon after a person quits smoking.

For more information, see:

Reference Quitting Smoking.

Reference Reference Quitting Smoking: Getting Support.

Reference Reference Quitting Smoking: Coping With Cravings and Withdrawal.

Reference Reference Quitting Smoking: Preventing Slips or Relapses.

If high cholesterol runs in your family, these lifestyle changes may not be enough. You may need to take medicine too. But no matter what treatment you use, you can lower your high cholesterol.

How do you make lifestyle changes?

You can learn simple steps to help you make lifestyle changes, like setting goals. Work on one small goal at a time. Expect slip-ups. Get support from others. Reward yourself for each success. To find out more about making healthy lifestyle changes, see Reference Change a Habit by Setting Goals.

When changing a lifestyle habit, barriers can sometimes get in your way. Figuring out what those barriers are and how you can get around them can help you reach your healthy eating goals.

For help, see:

Reference Reference Healthy Eating: Overcoming Barriers to Change.

Reference Fitness: Getting Around Barriers to Exercise.

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This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Reference Terms of Use. Reference How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.