New Guidelines Released For Lowering Cholesterol

According to guidelines released November 12, nearly a third of Americans should at least consider taking statins, drugs that help lower cholesterol. The new guidelines were created by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, and advise doctors to recommend statins for those who have already had heart disease; those whose LDL or bad cholesterol is extremely high; and for those who are middle-aged and have type-2 diabetes. The guidelines also recommend a combination of statins, diet, and exercise to lower cholesterol and achieve better heart health. The full guidelines are available here. 


The release of the new guidelines comes hot on the heels of the Food and Drug Administration announcing its preliminary determination that trans fats are not “generally recognized as safe.” Over the next few months, the FDA will take comments from the public and consider the risks involved with trans fats (also known as partially hydrogenated oils), which have been linked to heart disease and increased LDL or bad cholesterol levels. To see a full announcement from the FDA, visit this website. 

St. Louis Public Library has several books about heart health and lowering cholesterol, as well as several heart-healthy cookbooks from the American Heart Association. Searching the library catalog for “American Heart Association” will pull up a list of cookbooks, too many to list here! Other heart-healthy titles include:

• Mayo Clinic Healthy Heart for Life!: The Mayo Clinic Plan for Preventing and Conquering Heart Disease 
• 100 Questions & Answers About Managing Your Cholesterol by Vera A. Bittner 
• 101 Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol: Easy Tips That Allow You to Take Control, Reduce Risk, and Live Longer by Shirley Sugimura Archer 
• Cholesterol: Food, Facts, and Recipes by Juliette Kellow
• Controlling Cholesterol for Dummies by Carol Ann Rinzler 
• Heart 411: The Only Guide to Heart Health You’ll Ever Need by Marc Gillinov
• Best Practices for a Healthy Heart: How to Stop Heart Disease Before or After It Starts by Sarah Samaan 
• The Buena Salud Guide for a Healthy Heart by Jane L. Delgado 
• The Truth About Statins: Risks and Alternatives to Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs by Barbara H. Roberts 
• Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum’s Heart Book: Every Woman’s Guide to a Heart-Healthy Life by Suzanne Steinbaum 
• Eat to Beat Cholesterol by Nicole Senior

There are also several informative websites that can provide clear, easy-to-read information about statins and cholesterol. Just a few of those are listed below:

• A Mayo Clinic information sheet about the pros and cons of statins 
• This printable information sheet about cholesterol and statins, from the FDA 
• General information about cholesterol and the use of drugs to help lower LDL levels, from the National Library of Medicine 
• The American Heart Association’s page about cholesterol
• An interactive tutorial about cholesterol, from the National Library of Medicine 
• Instructions on how to get your cholesterol checked and how to interpret your cholesterol levels from the American Heart Association