Background and Program Description:

Estimates are that 100 million American adults have total blood cholesterol values of 200 mg/dL and higher, and about 40 million American adults have levels of 240 or above. In adults, total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or higher are considered high, and levels from 200 to 239 mg/dL are considered borderline-high.

Also, It is well established that high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Heart Care Centers of Illinois has developed a Cholesterol Modification Program for all eligible patients. Every new patient seen in our clinics undergoes cholesterol screening.

Patients requiring therapy with medication to lower their risk of heart disease will be admitted into the program. There, physician-directed nurses dedicated to cholesterol management will provide nutritional information, fingerstick cholesterol measurements, and periodic blood work testing. This comprehensive approach has been shown to be tremendously successful in achieving targeted cholesterol reduction. The Cholesterol Modification Program offers the most current therapies available for the treatment of elevated cholesterol.

Scope of the cholesterol problem:

• The age-adjusted percentage of Americans with LDL cholesterol levels of 130 mg/dL or higher is...
  
• for non-Hispanic whites, 49.9 percent for men and 43.2 percent for women. (22.4 percent of men and 18.9 percent of women had an LDL cholesterol level of 160 mg/dL or higher, which is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease).
  
• for non-Hispanic blacks, 47.4 percent for men and 44.5 percent for women. (18.6 percent of men and 19.2 percent of women had an LDL cholesterol level of 160 mg/dL or higher, which is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease).
  
• for Mexican Americans, 45.8 percent for men and 43 percent for women. (18.3 of men and 16.8 percent of women had a LDL cholesterol level of 160 mg/dL or higher, which is associated with a higher risk of coronary heart disease).
  

The good news is that high cholesterol levels can be improved with dietary changes and, if appropriate, medications.

For more information about the Cholesterol Modification Clinic… Call Heart Care Centers of Illinois at 1-888-642-4224 

[1-888-642-HCCI]  or Contact Us.