Medi-Rents & Sales, Inc. wants to bring attention to the epidemic of high cholesterol and the damage it can do to people here in Maryland and all over America. Medi-Rents & Sales, Inc. has your medical home oxygen and wheelchair needs covered. So for now, help us spread awareness for Cholesterol Education Month by reading and sharing this blog post.
How many Americans have high cholesterol? Experts say that an adult’s total cholesterol should be less than 170 mg/dL (or just “170” in common terms.). But more than 102 million American adults 20 years or older have cholesterol levels at or above 200 mg/dL and more than 35 million of these people have levels of 240 mg/dL or higher!
The LDL “bad cholesterol” numbers should be under 110 mg/dL. Your “good” cholesterol numbers should be 35 mg/dL or higher.
Your triglycerides are another number to consider in the big cholesterol picture. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood that your body uses for energy and are negatively affected by consuming too much sugar and fat and taking medications/drugs including Tamoxifen, steroids, beta-blockers, diuretics, estrogen and birth control pills. You need some triglycerides, just not too high a number. A healthy number is Less than 150 mg/dL, very high is 500mg/dL or higher.
How do you know if you have high cholesterol? That can be tricky because high cholesterol usually doesn’t have any symptoms. But ignorance is not bliss and can be very dangerous in this case. The only way to know your cholesterol levels is with a blood test. Your doctor can draw blood during a physical and some community centers and work places even offer this service a part of their wellness programs. The results are usually returned to you in a week or two with full, easy to understand results. Because high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States, it’s vital to know and control your cholesterol numbers.
Happy Cholesterol Education Month from Medi-Rents & Sales, Inc.!
