Diet Important to Lower Cholesterol Even When Taking Medication
Key points
- f you're taking a drug to lower cholesterol, you may wonder if you still need to watch your diet.
- Low-density lipoprotein is the most important type of cholesterol to treat.
- Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news.
- It's also the most responsive to treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as statins.
f you're taking a drug to lower cholesterol, you may wonder if you still need to watch your diet. The answer is yes.
Low-density lipoprotein is the most important type of cholesterol to treat. It's also the most responsive to treatment with cholesterol-lowering drugs, such as statins. However, many people taking these drugs have not reached their target LDL cholesterol level. Other strategies -such as diet changes -that can be safely combined with drug therapy are usually recommended.
The November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter offers these diet changes to help lower cholesterol:
- Maintain a diet with a fat content between 10 percent and 20 percent.
- Minimize saturated and trans fats and high cholesterol foods.
- Consume adequate soluble fiber. Good sources include oat bran, dried beans, carrots, apples and citrus fruits.
Mayo Clinic Health Letter is an eight-page monthly newsletter of reliable, accurate and practical information on today's health and medical news. To subscribe, please call toll free 800-333-9037, extension 9PR1.
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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