Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance found in all body cells which travels through the bloodstream. It is made in your body, but can also come from foods derived from animals. Cholesterol can become a problem if you have too much in your body. A person s cholesterol level is affected by age, sex, heredity, and diet. Your doctor can use a blood test to determine your total blood cholesterol level.
Smokers have twice the risk of a heart attack than a nonsmoker.
Nearly 180,000 deaths from heart disease are attributable to smoking. Constant exposure to other people s smoke, known as second hand smoke, increases the risk of heart disease even for nonsmokers. It is the fastest growing risk factor for heart disease in this country and is considered an epidemic. In addition, health outcomes among African American women are far worse than those of whites. 4 Twenty-five percent of African Americans between the ages of 65 and 74 have diabetes.