The Keys to Cholesterol

How much time does the average person spend thinking about their arteries?

Cholesterol and its far-reaching effects on heart health are easy to overlook, even when setting out to improve overall health.

People seeking to make healthy lifestyle changes tend to focus on the results they can see or feel: a slimmer waistline, increased energy levels, well-defined muscles.

But the rewards of improved health go much deeper, and the risks of ignoring something as important as cholesterol can be dire.

According to the American Heart Association, a high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack.

A variety of factors affect cholesterol, including diet, weight, exercise, age, gender, and heredity. Obviously, some of these factors can’t be changed, but others are well within an individual’s control. Focus on eating heart-smart foods, shedding excess pounds, and getting regular exercise, and cholesterol should improve as a result.

Bringing cholesterol into the light and helping your employees understand what they can do to safeguard their heart is the best way to encourage healthy changes.

But don’t worry: Even if they’re motivated by the desire to drop a pants size or two instead of the goal of cleaner arteries, the end result will be a step toward better health.

Take charge of cholesterol and cut heart disease risk with these tips from WebMD: