| When
elevated cholesterol is first discovered in a person without heart
disease, doctors often start patients on the Step I diet recommended
by the American Heart Association and NCEP. On this program, patients
should eat: 8 to 10 percent of the day's total calories from saturated
fat, 30 percent or less of total calories from fat, less than 300
milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day, and just enough calories to
achieve and maintain a healthy weight. A doctor or a registered
dietitian can suggest a reasonable calorie level. Food labels also are
very helpful in determining how much saturated fat, cholesterol, and
calories are in various foods.
If the Step I diet doesn't result in desirable cholesterol levels,
doctors may try the Step II diet, which changes the daily saturated
fat limits to below 7 percent of daily calories and dietary
cholesterol to below 200 milligrams. Step II also is the diet for
people with heart disease.
In many patients, blood cholesterol
levels should begin to drop a few weeks after starting on a
cholesterol-lowering diet. Just how much of a drop depends on factors
such as how high the cholesterol level is and how each person's body
responds to changes made. With time, cholesterol levels may be reduced
10 to 50 milligrams per deciliter or more, a clinically significant
amount.
For more information on lowering
blood cholesterol through diet or other means, contact:
National Cholesterol Education Program
NHLBI Information Center
P.O. Box 30105
Bethesda, MD 20824-0105
www.nhlbi.nih.gov
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