Keeping track of cholesterol can be confusing—but it’s crucial enough to your workers’ health to be worth the effort.
September is National Cholesterol Education Month, which makes it a good time to slip a bit of wellness training into your usual schedule of safety training.
Helping workers learn how to monitor their cholesterol can help lower sick leave and health insurance costs for your organization.
Here’s what your workers need to know.
The Good
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance in the blood that is transported by two kinds of lipoproteins: high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL.) HDL is considered “good cholesterol” because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attacks. Researchers think that HDL carries cholesterol away from arteries to the liver, where it is eliminated as waste. HDL may even clear cholesterol plaque from the arteries.
The Bad
LDL is considered “bad cholesterol” because high levels of LDL can build up and cause hardening of the arteries, which can cause heart attacks or stroke. In addition, a high level of triglycerides (fats) in the body can cause high cholesterol levels.
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What You Can Do
Since high cholesterol levels do not produce any symptoms, the best thing you can do is get checked regularly. (See Cholesterol Check below for how to read the results of your test.)
Cholesterol levels are affected by three areas you can control (diet, exercise, and weight) and three you cannot (age, gender, heredity). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA — www.fda.gov) recommends these tips:
- Limit high-cholesterol foods in your diet, including egg yolks and whole eggs.
- Limit fatty foods, including fatty meats, fried foods, whole milk, fatty cheeses, butter, margarine, oils, lard, and creams.
- Limit fatty snacks and desserts, including candy, cookies, doughnuts, muffins, pastries, and pies.
- Increase intake of fruits and vegetables.
- Exercise regularly—at least 30 minutes most days.
- Lose weight if you are overweight. Even a small weight loss can help lower the bad and raise the good.
- Talk with your medical professional about medications to control cholesterol, if necessary.
Cholesterol Check
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI — see link above), everyone age 20 and over should have a lipoprotein profile, which is a fasting blood test, at least once every 5 years.
Use this information from the NHLBI to interpret the numbers:
| Total Cholesterol Level |
What It Means |
|
(lower # is better) |
|
|
Less than 200 mg/dL* |
Desirable |
|
200–239 mg/dL |
Borderline high |
|
240 mg/dL and above |
High |
|
LDL Cholesterol Level |
|
|
(lower # is better) |
|
|
Less than 100 mg/dL |
Optimal |
|
100–129 mg/dL |
Near optimal/above optimal |
|
130–159 mg/dL |
Borderline high |
|
160–189 mg/dL |
High |
|
190 mg/dL and above |
Very high |
|
HDL Cholesterol Level |
|
|
(higher # is better) |
|
|
Less than 40 mg/dL |
Major risk factor for heart disease |
|
60 mg/dL and above |
Low risk factor |
|
Triglycerides Level |
|
|
(lower # is better) |
|
|
150–199 mg/dL |
Borderline high |
|
200 mg/dL and above |
High |
* Milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood
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Why it Matters
- High cholesterol raises the risk of hardening of the arteries, heart attacks, strokes, and other dangerous and costly illnesses.
- Your workers can take steps to control their cholesterol levels.
- Training them on how to do so will help you maintain a healthier workforce and minimize healthcare costs to your organization.