Over 25% of American women have blood cholesterol levels high enough to put them at risk for heart disease. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in all parts of the body. It comes from two sources: your body and the food you eat. Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. Eating too much cholesterol in animal foods like meats, whole milk dairy products, and egg yolks can make your cholesterol go up. Cholesterol blocks blood from flowing easily through your body. The higher your cholesterol, the greater your risk for heart disease. High cholesterol is a health problem for African American women. However, African American women have lower cholesterol levels than White women. Control your cholesterol by getting your cholesterol checked, exercising, eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and keeping a healthy weight. Ask your health care provider about how often you should get your cholesterol checked.

Publications

1. For Your Heart - This portion of the NWHIC web site will escort you through a short, confidential survey of questions about your health and lifestyle. Based on your answers, it will provide you with a series of articles detailing the latest information on exercise, nutrition, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure and other factors that affect you and your risk for heart disease - all tailored to your needs.

2. Be Heart Smart! Eat Food Lower in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol - This booklet offers specific information on lowering the fat in your diet and identifies steps to promote healthy lifestyles among African Americans.

3. Empower Yourself! Learn Your Cholesterol Number - This booklet provides specific information on blood cholesterol count and identifies steps to promote healthy lifestyles among African Americans.

4. Frequently Asked Questions - High Blood Cholesterol - This fact sheet provides information on high blood cholesterol and the health risks that it can pose. It provides answers to common questions such as the difference between "good" and "bad" cholesterols, how often levels should be checked, how to interpret the numbers, and how and when diet, exercise and medications are used to manage cholesterol levels in patients.

5. Heart-Healthy Home Cooking African American Style - Prepare your favorite African American dishes in ways that protect you and your family from heart disease and stroke. These 20 tested recipes will show you how to cut back on saturated fat, cholesterol, salt, and sodium and still have great-tasting food. Delicious foods from spicy southern barbecued chicken to sweet potato pie are included.

6. High Blood Cholesterol - What You Need to Know - This brochure provides information about how to lower a cholesterol level that is too high. Lowering a cholesterol level that is too high helps to reduce the risk for heart disease. Find out what your cholesterol numbers mean and what treatment your doctor may prescribe to help lower your cholesterol level. Includes a tool to estimate the risk for having a heart attack, and outlines ways to reduce risk. Also contains a list of resources for further information.

7. Live Healthier, Live Longer: Cholesterol Counts for Everyone - Visit this interactive page to find information both for those who want to prevent heart disease and for those with heart disease who want to reduce their risk of having a heart attack. It contains a "how to" guide to lowering cholesterol, recipes, engaging activities such as Create-a-Diet, a resource library, tip sheets on heart healthy life habits, quizzes how to read food labels, frequently asked questions, and much more!

Organizations

1. Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc.

2. CDC's WISEWOMAN™ - Well Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation

3. Heart Truth: A National Awareness Campaign for Women about Heart Disease, The

4. WomenHeart - National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease