Secrets To Achieving The Ideal Cholesterol Levels For Men

Ideal cholesterol levels for men are harder and harder to come by these days. If you are someone who doesn't really take a good look at what you are eating, then it might be that one day you will wake to realize that your cholesterol levels have reached unhealthy and dangerous levels. If this is the case, then you should know there is a high risk that you could develop cardiovascular disease. For 1 out of 3 men, the first symptom of cardiovascular disease is death. Therefore, it is not worth the risk to simply wait until there's a problem and then work to fix it. However, if you are aware of the ideal cholesterol levels for men you will not have to worry about it too much, because this info will help you take the right steps to help you stay on the safe side for heart disease risk.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. That is why you will need to find out what your cholesterol readings are as soon as possible to ensure you don't get to be among them. The ideal cholesterol levels for men is generally considered to be less than 180 milligrams per deciliter. At 249 and higher you are at a high risk of getting a heart disease.

Cholesterol levels can easily increase over time, so this means that we should get periodic checkups to make sure we say within safe ranges.

The two things that influence cholesterol levels are lifestyle and diet. The first rule for men who want to avoid going over the edge is to try and stay away as much as possible from foods that are rich in saturated fats, trans fats and high in sugar. Junk foods, dairy products, margarine, processed foods and foods that are deeply fried will also raise your cholesterol levels, so it's better to limit them from your diet as much as possible.

Getting active and exercising is also a great step because it helps with burning and eliminating the fat inside the body. This benefits not only your overall health and the way you feel, but also your cholesterol levels.

No smoking and also no drinking, for the amount of good cholesterol in your body will be suppressed and, of course, how can we forget that you can easily get heart disease and cancer from these activities. You will find that there are some drugs out there you can use to help lower your cholesterol levels, usually they are prescribed by your doctor, but they have side effects and studies have shown that simply taking drugs to lower cholesterol but not changing diet and lifestyle does not reduce the incidence of heart disease. Some people also experience loss of memory, liver damage, muscle weakness and in, some cases, heart failure from the use of cholesterol lowering drugs.

So remember, to reach the ideal cholesterol levels for men, you can only do it with self control, willpower and diligence.