Eat less saturated fats in your diet to help prevent heart disease. Eat less meat, butter, cheese and cream to improve your health long-term.

Some types of cholesterol (LDL - aka "bad" cholesterol) can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack. Being overweight, inactive, and eating too much saturated or trans fats can cause high cholesterol. To lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, eat a heart-healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, exercise, and avoid smoking. Medication is also an option for those at high risk of heart attack or stroke.

Diets that promote heart health are rich in fruits and vegetables, low in saturated and trans fats, and limit the consumption of sugar, alcohol, and salt. Specific diets can help manage issues such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. The DASH diet (aka Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) is one choice for people with high blood pressure, while the Mediterranean diet is an option for those with high cholesterol.

Research has shown that taking statins later in life will not prevent Alzheimer’s or dementia. Statins are used to manage cholesterol. Cholesterol management may lower your risk for getting Alzheimer’s disease as you get older.

High cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease or stroke. Maintain a healthy diet, reduce your intake of fatty foods, quit smoking and exercise regularly to reduce your cholesterol levels. If you have a family history of high cholesterol, speak to your doctor about the possibility of genetic testing to see if you have an abnormal gene that increases your risk.

Cholesterol and triglyceride levels can be measured with blood tests. Too much cholesterol can increase your risk of heart attack or stroke or heart disease.

Maintaining a healthy weight and exercising can help to lower high cholesterol. Reducing the amount of saturated fats in your diet may also help.

Medicines used to lower cholesterol (statins) may help to prevent heart attack or stroke for people with no history of heart disease.