6 key facts about cholesterol everyone should know

High cholesterol can happen to anyone, regardless of weight or lifestyle. The best weapon in fighting it is information. Here are six things everyone should know about cholesterol.

• Cholesterol is portrayed as deadly in most media, but you need a certain amount of it in your bloodstream to stay alive and well.
• A waxy, fatty compound, cholesterol is one of a group of lipids (blood-borne fats) essential for making hormones, nerve fibres and cell membranes.
• It’s only when you have too much of it that cholesterol becomes a problem.

• Your liver typically makes all the cholesterol you need. When you eat foods high in cholesterol or saturated fats, the liver responds by churning out even more.
• Over time, the excess is likely to build up in your arteries. It can then harden into what’s called atherosclerotic plaque.
• Untreated, this condition can lead to angina, heart attack or stroke.
• Ideally, your total cholesterol level should be below 5.2 mmol/L (millimoles per litre).

• Cholesterol is divided into two major subtypes: low density lipoprotein (LDL), the so-called "bad" cholesterol, and high density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol.
• Each type of lipoprotein has a different impact on your health. The higher your LDL, for instance, the greater your risk of heart disease.
• High levels of HDL actually reduce your cardiovascular risk, because HDL carries cholesterol back to the liver. Once there, it's metabolized and eventually excreted.

• Your risk for high cholesterol increases with age — and in men more than women.
• Other risk factors include diabetes, an underactive thyroid or a family history.
• Even though high cholesterol has no real symptoms, it's a major cause of coronary heart disease, the number-one killer of North American adults.

• There are three basics when it comes to controlling high cholesterol: lifestyle changes, medication and natural remedies.
• Your lifestyle changes should focus on reducing calories and fat in your diet.
• If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe medication. Talk to your physician about your options.
• Depending on your overall risk profile, a daily low-dose aspirin may be a smart and inexpensive way to reduce your chance of heart attack.
• Some research shows that natural remedies can help manage your cholesterol levels when combined with a healthy diet and proper exercise.

• These fatty acids, found in olive and fish oils, are healthier than the more prevalent omega-6s.
• To get a better balance of omega-3s, choose a salad dressing with olive oil. Cook with olive oil, too.
• Look for mayonnaise made from canola oil.
• Most use soybean or other high omega-6 oils.

Even if you're lean and healthy, it’s possible to have high cholesterol. But don't worry: there’s plenty you can do to improve your outlook by lowering your cholesterol levels — safely and effectively.