Lifestyle choices play a powerful role in managing cholesterol and protecting long-term heart health. Dr. Walid Hmissa, a board-certified internal medicine physician with Northside Primary Care Lawrenceville, emphasizes that everyday habits can significantly reduce a woman’s risk of heart disease.
“These are changes that we can do in our lives so that we can ensure the last decades of our lives are easy and good on our bodies,” Dr. Hmissa said.
Diet, physical activity and smoking habits all influence cholesterol levels and overall cardiovascular risk, according to the American Heart Association.
Choosing the right types of fats
Dietary fat quality is one of the most important factors in cholesterol management.
“There are three types of fats,” Dr. Hmissa said. “You have your unsaturated fats, and you have your saturated and trans fats.”
Unsaturated fats help improve cholesterol levels.
“The overall goal is we want to replace our saturated fats with unsaturated fats,” Dr. Hmissa explained. This change helps lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol.
Healthy sources include olive and canola oils, avocados, nuts, seeds and fish. Omega-3 fats are especially beneficial because the body cannot make them on its own.
“Fish about two to three times a week is an effective way of just naturally consuming omega-3 fats,” he added.
Fats to limit or avoid
Saturated fats should be limited, particularly those found in red meat, cheese, butter and desserts.
“Guidelines do advise that you kind of maintain less than 10% of your calorie intake from saturated fats,” Dr. Hmissa said. The American Heart Association recommends less than 6%.
Trans fats should be avoided entirely. “Trans fats are consistently harmful, even in small amounts,” he added. They raise bad cholesterol, lower good cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The role of exercise
Exercise is a key part of cholesterol management. “Regular exercise, point blank period, is great for your heart,” Dr. Hmissa said.
Benefits of regular physical activity include:
- Lower LDL and total cholesterol
- Higher HDL cholesterol
- Reduced blood pressure
- Improved insulin sensitivity
The American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week. “The activity can be accumulated,” Dr. Hmissa said.
Smoking and long-term risk
Smoking significantly increases cardiovascular risk, but quitting offers benefits at any age.
“It is absolutely never too late to quit,” Dr. Hmissa encouraged.
When lifestyle changes aren’t enough
For some patients, lifestyle changes alone may not lower cholesterol enough. “There are situations where … the cholesterol might not be decreased at a level that your provider would want it at,” Dr. Hmissa said.
Medication may then be added — not instead of healthy habits, but alongside them.
“If we’re going to do medications, then we might as well do the lifestyle modifications at the same time.”
Together, these steps help women manage cholesterol and protect their hearts over time.
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