Maintaining Healthy Cholesterol And Blood Pressure

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Cholesterol And Blood Pressure (NAPSA)—According to a recent survey, nearly half of adults over 45 years old are concerned about their cholesterol or blood pressure—two of the key risk factors for developing heart disease. Fortunately, there are some simple, nondrug steps you can take to help keep your levels within the normalrange. e Get checked. Considering that heart disease will affect one out of three adults during his or her lifetime, it makes sense to know your cholesterol and blood pressure levels—and keep them in check. The American Heart Association recommendsthatall adults age 20 or older have their cholesterol— including levels of LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol—checked once every five years. It’s also important to have blood pressure checked once a year because high blood pressure has no symptoms. In fact, one-third of people with high blood pressure don’t even know they haveit. Supplement your Bs and Cs. Cutting calories can mean youre not getting enough important vitamins. Studies have shown that getting less than the required level of vitamins and minerals can put you at risk for chronic diseases, including heart disease. Eating a balanceddiet rich in vitamins C, B6, B12, folic acid and cal- cium can help maintain a healthy heart. Robyn Flipse, MS, RD, clinical dietitian and active memberof the American Dietetic Association, suggests taking a multivitamin such as the new One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus, which contains policosanol and heart health-supporting nutrients to help maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressurelevels. “Policosanol is a natural ingredient derived from sugarcane that clinical studies show helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels,” Ms. Flipse says. “One-A-Day Cholesterol Plus is the only leading multivitamin that contains this offs Tage eal 2 ea 3s \ oe D Experts recommend taking a multivitamin to make sure you are getting enough heart-healthy vitamins. ingredient in addition to calcium and folic acid to support blood pressure.” For more information, visit www.oneaday.com or call 1-800800-4793. Be food smart. Diet can be an important factor in helping to keep cholesterol and blood pressure within a healthy range. Even if you’re a health-consciouseater, cholesterol may be lurking in places you don’t expect. Likewise, there are smart food choices that can help keep your blood pressure healthy. Saturated fat is a main contributor to high cholesterol and is found in foods from animals and some plants. However, you may not know to look out for the hydrogenated fats that can be found in baked goods like that bran muffin you're having every morning. Be sure to integrate high-potassium foods such as bananas, raisins and potatoes. Potassium is a blood pressure-healthy mineral that is essential to a healthy heart. e Exercise your heart. The American Heart Association recommends getting 30-60 minutes of vigorous exercise most (or all) days of the week. If 30-60 minutes seems overwhelming, try breaking the exer- cise into 10-20-minute spurts during the day by taking thestairs or walking to the store instead of driving. As always, check with your doctor before embarking on any

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