Disease: high cholesterol
Question: for high cholesterol, how to lower cholesterol?
Answer: If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may recommend lifestyle changes to help lower it. For instance, they may recommend changes to your diet, exercise habits, or other aspects of your daily routine. If you smoke, they will likely advise you to quit.
Your doctor may also prescribe medications or other treatments to help lower your cholesterol levels. In some cases, they may refer you to a specialist for more care.
Lowering cholesterol through diet
To help you achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol levels, your doctor may recommend changes to your diet.
For example, they may advise you to:
limit your intake of foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fats, and trans fats
choose lean sources of protein, such as chicken, fish, and legumes
eat a wide variety of high fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
opt for baked, broiled, steamed, grilled, and roasted foods instead of fried foods
avoid fast food and sugary, pre-packaged options when possible
Foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fats, or trans fats include:
red meat, organ meats, egg yolks, and high fat dairy products
processed foods made with cocoa butter or palm oil
deep-fried foods, such as potato chips, onion rings, and fried chicken
certain baked goods, such as some cookies and muffins
Eating fish and other foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids may also help lower your LDL levels. For example, salmon, mackerel, and herring are rich sources of omega-3s. Walnuts, almonds, ground flaxseeds, and avocados also contain omega-3s.
Cholesterol medications
In some cases, your doctor might prescribe medications to help lower your cholesterol levels.
Statins are the most commonly prescribed medications for high cholesterol. They block your liver from producing more cholesterol.
Examples of statins include:
atorvastatin (Lipitor)
fluvastatin (Lescol)
rosuvastatin (Crestor)
simvastatin (Zocor)
Your doctor may also prescribe other medications for high cholesterol, such as:
niacin
bile acid resins or sequestrants, such as colesevalam (Welchol), colestipol (Colestid), or cholestyramine (Prevalite)
cholesterol absorption inhibitors, such as ezetimibe (Zetia)
PCSK9 inhibitors, such as alirocumab (Praluent) and evolocumab (Repatha)
Some products contain a combination of drugs to help decrease your body�s absorption of cholesterol from foods and reduce your liver�s production of cholesterol. One example is a combination of ezetimibe and simvastatin (Vytorin). Learn more about the drugs used to treat high cholesterol.
Home remedies to lower cholesterol naturally
In some cases, you may be able to lower your cholesterol levels without taking medications. For example, it may be enough to eat a nutritious diet, exercise regularly, and avoid smoking tobacco products.
Some people also claim that certain herbal and nutritional supplements may help lower cholesterol levels. For instance, claims have been made about:
garlic
hawthorn
astragalus
red yeast rice
plant sterol and stanol supplements
blond psyllium, found in psyllium seed husk
ground flaxseed
However, the level of evidence supporting these claims varies. Also, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn�t approved any of these products for treating high cholesterol. More research is needed to learn if they can help treat this condition.
Always talk with your doctor before taking any herbal or nutritional supplements. In some cases, they might interact with other medications you�re taking.