Control High Cholesterol

The following is an Editorial Resource from YourTotalHealth.

The Gender Gap

Reviewed by: Abdou Elhendy, M.D., PhD, FACC, FAHA

Heart disease is the leading killer of both women and men, but when it comes to cholesterol, the sexes were not created equal. The skinny:

• Before menopause, naturally high levels of estrogen can help women maintain healthy cholesterol levels and protect them from heart disease. When estrogen starts to decline at menopause (average age, 51) or by removal of the ovaries, HDL levels typically drop, too.
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• HDLs over 60 mg/dL are considered optimum for both men and women. Men are considered to have low HDL cholesterol at less than 40 mg/dL. Women have low HDL cholesterol at less than 50 mg/dL.
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• The National Institutes of Health recommend that both men and women begin having their cholesterol tested every five years in their 20s. The exception? Young women who take birth control pills may need earlier and more frequent testing because the hormones in oral contraceptives may affect cholesterol levels and may enhance coagulation (blood clotting). The estrogen in oral contraceptives appears to increase HDLs, triglycerides and total cholesterol levels, yet it decreases LDLs. Progestin in oral contraceptives seems to have the opposite effect. If you take oral contraceptives, discuss cholesterol testing and other risk factors with your physician.
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• Cholesterol medications appear to work differently in men and women. In several studies of statins, for example, women seemed to reap fewer benefits and suffer more side effects than men.
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What's Next: Beyond Your Heart

• Cholesterol & Your Sex Life
  
• The Deadly Combo: Blood Pressure & High Cholesterol
  
• Nutrition Quiz: What’s the Diet Connection?
  
• Grains Glossary
  
• Alcohol: How Much Is Too Much?

Review date: 06-25-2008