As we age, the word “cholesterol” begins to take more prominence in our lives—and for good reason.

A waxy substance in the blood, cholesterol isn’t inherently bad, considering your body needs it to build cells, hormones and vitamins. However, too much of it can pose grave health risks.

September is National Cholesterol Education Month, so it’s a great time to stress the importance of monitoring your cholesterol.

There are two types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, aka “good” cholesterol, and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, aka “bad” cholesterol. When the body takes in too much LDL cholesterol and not enough HDL cholesterol, the cholesterol begins to stick to the walls of your blood vessels, in turn producing “high” cholesterol. Progressively, it builds up in your blood vessels and arteries, increasingly blocking proper blood flow and putting you at risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Genetics, age, sex, race and certain medications can raise your cholesterol levels, but the most common culprit is an unhealthy lifestyle. Medical conditions like obesity, diabetes, HIV, kidney disease, sleep apnea and lupus are also common contributors.

Preventative measures are the key to combating high cholesterol before it becomes a real problem. For one thing, you should get your cholesterol levels checked regularly—at least every four to six years.

Medication can lower your cholesterol numbers over time, but you should also be investing in better lifestyle choices. That means getting regular exercise, giving up tobacco use, limiting your alcohol consumption, maintaining a healthy weight, and adopting a diet rich in fiber and healthy fats and low in saturated and trans fats.

As it happens, preventing high cholesterol is one of the focuses of our evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine program, which is based on the concept that poor lifestyle choices drive most modern chronic illnesses. The program is focused on helping patients and their families improve their health and overall quality of life by adopting a host of long-term lifestyle behaviors, including eliminating tobacco use, improving diet, practicing stress relief techniques, increasing physical activity, strengthening personal relationships and connections—and, of course, adjusting sleep habits for better, more restorative rest.

Our team is trained in both conventional medicine and lifestyle medicine, and we work closely with patients to create a personalized lifestyle self-care plan that’s not only easily implementable but sustainable. These modifications can go a long way toward preventing or managing chronic diseases like high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes (type 2), high blood pressure, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, coronary artery disease, cancers that are associated with your your lifestyle (such as prostate and breast cancers), osteoarthritis, chronic pain, chronic autoimmune diseases and chronic psychological stress.

I should also do some bragging and note that The Wright Center was recently named a 2024 Cardiovascular Health Hall of Fame Champion for making significant contributions to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Cardiovascular Health Program for 2023-24. 

“We incorporated real stories where clinicians helped empower patients to take an active role in their health,” “By adopting a team-based approach to primary care, we can identify and manage patients with high cholesterol and those at risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease,” said Colleen Dougherty, vice president, chief clinical operating officer and director of certified registered nurse practitioner and physician assistant services at The Wright Center. “Early intervention is crucial in preventing devastating health events and improving our patients’ overall well-being.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Thanks to Colleen and other first-rate employees at The Wright Center, we’ll continue to utilize that model moving forward.

Joshua Braddell is a board-certified registered nurse practitioner. He serves as medical director of the Wright Center’s Mid Valley community health center in Jermyn, where he sees patients of all ages.