Reducing total cholesterol, LDL, and triglyceride levels

The first step in treating cardiovascular disease is to lower LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.

Reducing your cholesterol

LDL cholesterol is usually the primary target and lowering its levels in your blood entails making changes to what you eat, specifically by reducing the amount of saturated fat in your diet.

Other lifestyle behaviours, such as weight loss, taking regular exercise, and stopping smoking can also significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.

In addition to lowering LDL and triglyceride levels through nutrition, raising beneficial HDL levels through diet can also reduce the risk.

Reducing your cholesterol

Goal	How to achieve goal	Nutritional and lifestyle advice
Decrease LDL-cholesterol levels	Decrease intake of saturated fat Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats Limit dietary cholesterol Increase soluble fibre Limit intake of trans fatty acids	Chose lean meats and low- or reduced-fat dairy foods Use only rapeseed or olive oil for cooking and baking Limit egg yolks, butterfat, and fatty meats Add oats, pulses, and apples to your diet Use soft, trans-fat-free margarine; limit pastries and other items made with partially hydrogenated oils
Decrease triglyceride levels	Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats Include omega-3 fatty acids Avoid high-carbohydrate diets Eliminate alcohol Lose weight if overweight	Use only rapeseed or olive oil in cooking and baking Eat more cold-water fish, linseeds, and linseed oil Cut down on high-carbohydrate foods Reduce alcohol intake as much as possible Exercise, limit saturated fat, and reduce portion sizes
Raise HDL-cholesterol levels	Use mono- and polyunsaturated fats Limit intake of trans fatty acids Lose weight if overweight	Use only rapeseed or olive oil in cooking and baking Use soft, trans-fat-free margarine; limit pastries and other items made with partially hydrogenated oil Cut out saturated fat, reduce portion sizes, and exercise to help weight loss