(NC)-Like many Canadians, you probably have not given much thought to your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is a silent and a significant risk factor for heart disease, which is the number one killer of Canadians. It is estimated that eight million Canadians have high cholesterol, affecting 48 per cent of Canadian men, and 43 per cent of Canadian women.
Awareness of cholesterol and its role in heart disease is growing. The Canadian Lipid Nurse Network (CLNN) is a non-profit organization dedicated to patient education in the assessment and treatment of lipid disorders, including cholesterol, as a step to prevent heart disease.
In the Spring of 2002, members of CLNN conducted a series of public forums across Canada to inform people about the dangers of high cholesterol. The 'Making the Connection' public forums were held in 14 cities across Canada including Burnaby, Prince George, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Windsor, Ottawa, Sherbrooke, Ste. Foy, Montreal, Moncton, Halifax, and St. John's. More than 1,300 Canadians attended these free information sessions, learning about the different types of cholesterol, how cholesterol affects heart health, how to reduce cholesterol levels through diet and exercise, and medical treatment options.
Liz Helden, a lipid nurse specialist at Chedoke-McMaster Hospital Lipid Clinic in Hamilton, and co-chair of the Canadian Lipid Nurse Network, was one of the presenters at the public information sessions.
"High cholesterol is one of the most common medical conditions affecting people from every walk of life," said Helden. "Since one cannot feel elevated cholesterol, or the effects it can have on their arteries and heart, many people do not fully understand the danger of high cholesterol or what should be done to reduce it.
"'Making the Connection' has been designed to inform Canadians about the role of cholesterol as an important risk factor in the development of heart disease and the risk of stroke," said Helden. "Knowing and recognizing the risks for heart disease is critical, and reducing cardiovascular risk by lowering cholesterol is key."
Choosing the Right Food to Reduce Cholesterol
We are very busy persons: we have things to do, problems to solve, people to talk to and it seems that we stopped having enough time to eat. More and more often full course meals get replaced for quicker snacks. Snacking does not necessarily represent a bad thing. Snacks are normal for a body that consumes its inner energy for its daily activities and needs to accumulate more strength. Eating wrong foods for snacks is causing you trouble like increasing cholesterol level. It is the snacks high in carbohydrates and fats that are causing you an elevated cholesterol and weight gain. This situat ..
Based on the popularity of the Spring series, the 'Making the Connection' public forums will be continued this Fall. Check your local paper to see if a 'Making the Connection' public forum is coming to your city. For information on cholesterol and heart disease, please visit http://www.makingtheconnection.ca
or call toll-free 1-877-4-LOW-LDL (1-877-456-9535).
For more information regarding the CLNN, please visit http://www.lipidnurse.ca.
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Take Low Cholesterol Diets to Reduce Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty lipid, steroid and an alcohol found in the body tissues and blood plasma of vertebrates. It is the cardinal part of the outer membranes of human body cells and it circulates in the blood of humans. Cholesterol in the human body comes from two major sources diet, and the liver, where it is produced internally.
High cholesterol in the blood is considered to be unhealthy. The cholesterol levels in the bloodstream can influence the pathogenesis of certain conditions, such as the development of atherosclerotic plaque and coronary artery disease. It gets collected on the ..
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News CanadaTake The First Step Towards 'Making The Connection' Between Cholesterol And Your Heart
