Some people have very high levels of cholesterol in their blood. These people have a higher than average chance of having heart attacks and strokes. The heart attacks are caused by blockages in the blood vessels, or arteries, that nourish the heart muscle. The strokes are often caused when small blood vessels in the brain leak or become clogged. By lowering their cholesterol, people with high levels can reduce their chances of having a heart attack or stroke. If you want to lower your cholesterol level, begin with your diet. Often weight loss alone will help lower blood cholesterol. You should eat no more than 300 milligrams per day of cholesterol.

Egg yolks and organ meats are high in cholesterol. Just one egg has about 215 milligrams of cholesterol. Cholesterol is only found in foods from animals such as meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products. Shrimp and shellfish are also relatively high in cholesterol. Chicken or turkey may not contain as much fat as does lean beef or pork, but they do contain about the same amount of cholesterol. Foods from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, grains, cereals, nuts and seeds, don't contain cholesterol.

If you eat a lot of saturated fats, such as milk, butter or other animal fats, your body may make more cholesterol. Coconut oil and palm oil also are mostly saturated fats. These fats are easy to recognize because they are almost always solid at room temperature. The Heart Association suggests that you eat no more than 10 percent of your total calories from these kind of fats.

Some people cannot lower their high cholesterol levels with just diet. These people may need drugs prescribed by their doctor to help them. Other factors, such as a person's age or whether they have other risks for heart disease may affect their need to take medicine for cholesterol.

Some drugs used for cholesterol treatment are powders that people take with meals. Other drugs are pills. Sometimes, doctors prescribe more than one kind of drug for people who have very high cholesterol levels.

To learn more about lowering your cholesterol, contact your local American Heart Association office or call (800) 242-8721.

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