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National Cholesterol Education Month

September is National Cholesterol Education Month, a good time to get your blood cholesterol checked and take steps to lower it if it is high. National Cholesterol Education Month is also a good time to learn about lipid profiles and about food and lifestyle choices that help you reach personal cholesterol goals.

High blood cholesterol affects over 65 million Americans. It is a serious condition that increases your risk for heart disease. The higher your cholesterol level, the greater the risk. You can have high cholesterol and not know it. Lowering cholesterol levels that are too high lessens your risk for developing heart disease and reduces the chance of having a heart attack or dying of heart disease.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute offers helpful resources to use during National Cholesterol Education Month.

For Individuals

Get these public education booklets for yourself and share them with family and friends.

For Persons with High Blood Cholesterol Who Need to Lower It

Heart Healthy Recipes

For Community Group Education Programs

Offer an educational session for groups who may benefit from a better understanding of cholesterol. Use these teaching tools:

Make cholesterol information booklets available at your worksite, health center, community center, or HMO. Have plenty of copies on hand for screening events.

For Clinicians

Refresh your skills in cholesterol assessment and management with:

For Everyone

For Bulletin Board Displays

Use pages from these resources to create an educational display in September:

  • High Blood Cholesterol: What You Need to Know

  • Tables and Text from Your Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol with Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)
    • What's Your Heart Disease Risk? - p. 8
    • What's Your 10-Year Risk for a Heart Attack? - pp. 10-12
    • Drop Your Cholesterol with TLC - p. 16
    • Setting Your LDL Goal - p. 9
    • The TLC Diet: A Heart Healthy Eating Plan - p.19
    • Sample Saturated Fat Intakes - p. 22
    • Fiber Solutions - p. 28
    • Fiber Really Counts - p. 29
    • How to Make Heart Healthy Meals - pp. 39-40
    • Losing Weight and Gaining Heart Health - pp. 49-50
    • How to Lower Your Calories on TLC - p. 50
    • Choose the Foods That Help You Lose - pp. 51-52
    • A Handy Guide to Calories Burned in Common Activities - p. 46
    • Benefits of Regular Physical Activity - p. 42
    • Getting Active - p. 44

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