Module 7: Cholesterol

POST-MODULE QUIZ LINK: https://forms.gle/r9wo6P1uaKQywGPN8

 This is a mandatory quiz to be completed upon reviewing this week’s materials.

It is only graded for completion, so take the quiz for your learning!

Why are we talking about cholesterol?

• When people have too much low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, they are at increased risk of heart attack and stroke – colloquially, people may refer to this as their “bad cholesterol.”

• Having higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is associated with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke – colloquially, people refer to this as their “good cholesterol.”

 Our Family Van cassettes will give you three numbers:

• Total Cholesterol (TC) – ideally this should be <200

• HDL Cholesterol – ideally this should be >40-60

• Non-HDL Cholesterol – this is a measure that is a combination of LDL and triglycerides; ideally this should be <130-160

 Learn more about the different types of cholesterol here!

Foods that can increase cholesterol:

• Red meats

• Margarine and butter

• Fried foods (e.g. fried chicken, french fries)

• Cream (e.g. ice cream, whipped cream, creams in soups)

• Shrimp

Are eggs really bad? The truth is that eggs are a good source of protein and don’t raise cholesterol much unless a patient eats an excess amount of egg yolks (more than 6 egg yolks per week).

Foods that help lower cholesterol:

MORE INFORMATION:

●     To read common patient questions about cholesterol and how to answer them in terms they can understand: Click here!

●     American Heart Association resources: Click here!

●    ASCVD score:  Primary care physicians use this calculator to determine 10-year risk of heart disease or stroke. The score helps to guide whether a patient should be recommended a statin (first-line medications that we use to treat high cholesterol). You can play around with the calculator here: Click here!