Yes, and exercising to treat high cholesterol is about the same amount as exercising for overall health. In this video, Ben Cohen, MD, a cardiologist at West Hills Hospital, says that moderate exercise four times a week for 30-45 minutes is a good target.
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How Much Physical Exercise Do I Need to Treat High Cholesterol?
People develop abnormal cholesterol levels for many reasons including physical inactivity, obesity, age, sex, and a diet high in animal fats. Some inherited genetic disorders also cause the body to overproduce cholesterol and to eliminate it inefficiently.
Foods that help keep cholesterol down are those that are low in saturated fat and those that are high in fiber. For example, one might consider decreasing the amount of red meat in his or her diet and replacing it with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Also, fish oil has a larger effect on triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood which can raise your risk of heart disease if levels are too high). High triglyceride levels can be reduced with regular consumption of fatty fishes.
Statin drugs are very powerful in cutting the risk of heart disease, but of course they're not perfect. Many people who take them complain of muscle pain, and people often say they feel the way they do the day after a hard workout, even when they haven't been physically active. Sometimes this just shows up as fatigue.
On rare occasions statins can cause muscle damage, so tell your doctor if the muscle pain is severe or persistent. Occasionally the drugs cause liver problems. Studies show that statin drugs can be used safely in people who have liver test abnormalities from fatty liver, and there is even some evidence that the drugs may improve the problem by lowering fat levels in the blood. Statin drugs have also been reported to cause cognitive impairment, such as difficulties with memory, and they may cause or worsen peripheral neuropathy in some people.
There are six medications in the statin class of drugs available to lower high cholesterol, including atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor) and simvastatin (Zocor). Statins are most effective at lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but they may also have modest effects on raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lowering triglycerides. Statins are the most frequently prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs, but there are other types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available, including bile acid sequestrants (resins), fibrates and cholesterol absorption inhibitors.
Certain things can predispose you to high cholesterol. For example, if you're a man over 45 or a woman over 55, you're at greater risk. Having a family history of high cholesterol may predispose you to poor cholesterol as well. So can certain health conditions, like diabetes. And your doctor may want to talk about your lifestyle to see whether there may be a culprit there. Being overweight, not exercising enough and eating a poor diet can play a big role in poor cholesterol values.
You can have high cholesterol without symptoms. In fact, this is the most common presentation of high cholesterol. Elevated cholesterol levels can lead to multiple medical problems, but these problems typically take long periods of time to develop. Initially, it is likely that a person may have no symptoms at all that would help them to realize that they have high cholesterol. There are specific screening tests that look for elevated levels of cholesterol. If you are unsure whether or not you need to be screened, make an appointment with your doctor.