High blood cholesterol is one of the risk factors for heart disease that a person can do something about. High blood pressure, cigarette smoking, diabetes, excessive weight, and physical inactivity are the others.

Although some red meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, which can raise your blood cholesterol, you do not need to stop eating it or any other single food. Red meat is a good source of protein, iron, and other vitamins and minerals. You should, however, cut back on the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol that you eat. And avoid trans fats completely. Fish, soy, and legumes are even healthier ways to get protein in your diet. If you do eat meat, cut off all the visible fat and cook it thoroughly.

A total blood cholesterol level of under 200 mg/dL is desirable and usually puts you at a lower risk of heart disease. A blood cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL is high and increases your risk of heart disease. Your doctor will probably check your LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol) at the same time your total cholesterol is measured. A HIGH level of LDL cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease, as does a LOW level of HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol). An LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL is optimal. Your goal can be higher than that if you have no other heart-disease risk factors. A low HDL cholesterol level is below 40 mg/dL. All adults 20 years of age or older should have their blood cholesterol level checked at least once every five years.

While fish eaters have less risk of heart disease, fish-oil supplements generally do not reduce blood cholesterol levels. Supplements can lower blood triglyceride levels (another type of fat). Both fish and fish oils contain omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy polyunsaturated fat.

Eating less fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol can lower your blood cholesterol level. Generally your blood cholesterol level should begin to drop a few weeks after you start on a cholesterol-lowering diet. How much your level drops depends on the amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol you used to eat, how high your blood cholesterol is, how much weight you lose if you are overweight, and how your body responds to the changes you make. Over time, you may reduce your blood cholesterol level by 10 to 50 mg/dL or even more.

Saturated fats raise your blood cholesterol level more than anything else you eat. So, the best way to reduce your cholesterol level is to cut back on the amount of saturated fats that you eat. These fats are found in largest amounts in animal products such as butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, cream, and fatty meats. They are also found in some vegetable oils — coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils. In recent years, some diets that have high amounts of saturated fats have been shown to help lower cholesterol in some patients if they are successful in losing weight. Therefore, these low carbohydrate-high fat diets are not necessarily bad for the heart. But you should keep your eye on your cholesterol profile if you are trying to use one of these diets to lose weight.

Most vegetable oils — canola, corn, olive, safflower, soybean and sunflower oils — contain mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which help to lower blood cholesterol when used in place of saturated fats. However, a few vegetable oils — coconut, palm and palm kernel oils — contain more saturated fat than unsaturated fat. A special kind of fat, called "trans fat," is formed when vegetable oil is hardened to become margarine or shortening, through a process called "hydrogenation." The harder the margarine or shortening, the more likely it is to contain more trans fat. Use olive oil or other polyunsaturated oils for salads and cooking. Dipping whole-grain bread in olive oil is a great alternative to using butter or margarine. Just be sure to limit the total amount of any fats or oils, since even those that are unsaturated are rich sources of calories.

People who have had one heart attack are at much higher risk of a second attack. Reducing blood cholesterol levels can greatly slow down (and, in some people, even reverse) the buildup of cholesterol and fat in the wall of the coronary arteries and significantly reduce the chances of a second heart attack. If you have had a heart attack or have coronary disease, your LDL level should be below 100 mg/dL. Many experts recommend trying to get it to 70-80 mg/dL if you have heart disease.

Children from "high risk" families, in which a parent has high blood cholesterol (240 mg/dL or above) or in which a parent or grandparent has had heart disease at an early age (at 55 years or younger), should have their cholesterol levels tested. If a child from such a family has a cholesterol level that is high, it should be lowered under medical supervision, primarily with diet, to reduce the risk of developing heart disease as an adult. All children over the age of 2 years and all adults should adopt a heart-healthy eating pattern as a principal way of reducing coronary heart disease.

Blood cholesterol levels in both men and women begin to go up around age 20. Women before menopause have levels that are lower than men of the same age. After menopause, a women's LDL cholesterol level goes up — and her risk of heart disease increases. For both men and women, heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death.

Food labels have been changed. Look on the nutrition label for the amount of saturated fat, trans fat, total fat, cholesterol and total calories in a serving of the product. Use this information to compare similar products. Also, look for the list of ingredients. Here, the ingredient in the greatest amount is first and the ingredient in the least amount is last. Look for products with no trans fats and that have little saturated fat. Also be aware of the total calories per serving.