More time for your bucket list?

What's on your bucket list? Everyone has a list of goals they want to achieve in life, dreams they want to fulfill, and experiences they want to feel before they "kick the bucket."

Travel around the world, learn a new language, run a marathon, spend quality time with your grandchildren - these are commonly on people's bucket lists. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to accomplish everything on their bucket list.

Heart disease and stroke are 2 of the 5 leading killers in Canada. Every 7 minutes, someone dies from heart disease or stroke.

High cholesterol puts you at an increased risk of developing heart disease and stroke. But you don't have to let high cholesterol get in the way of achieving your life goals. By taking control of cholesterol and getting appropriate treatment, you can help reduce your risk of dying from heart disease. Achieving and maintaining treatment targets saves lives!

The goal of cholesterol treatment is to reduce your risk of developing heart disease. To do this, you need to reach your cholesterol targets. Your cholesterol target levels will depend on your current risk of heart disease.

Whether you are at low, moderate, or high risk of developing heart disease, the goal is to reduce your cholesterol levels, which can include LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol), ApoB (apolipoprotein B), or non-HDL-C (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol). You can  ask your doctor about your risk at your next visit. In general, people are classified into 3 risk groups:

• low risk: Less than 10% risk of developing heart disease over the next 10 years. This means that less than 10 out of 100 people at this level of risk will develop heart disease in the next 10 years.
• moderate risk: 10% to 19% risk of developing heart disease over the next 10 years. This means that 10 to 19 out of 100 people at this level of risk will develop heart disease in the next 10 years.
• high risk: 20% or greater risk of developing heart disease over the next 10 years. This means that 20 or more out of 100 people at this level of risk will develop heart disease in the next 10 years.

Remember that effective treatment can help you reach your cholesterol targets, which will reduce your risk of developing heart disease. Everyone's cholesterol target levels will vary, so it's best to speak with your doctor to learn what yours are.

Talk to your doctor about your risk of developing heart disease. By identifying your risk, you can move forward to planning and setting your treatment (and life!) goals. With your cholesterol under control, you can concentrate on living your life to the fullest and scratching the next item off your bucket list.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/More-Time-for-Your-Bucket-List