- Welcome to Living Healthy Chicago, I'm Jane Monzures.
You know, it's always important to stay on top
of your health and check in with your doctor regularly.
Recognizing potential problems early
can help your doctors guide you back to good health.
So let's find out how this next man took action
when he found out he had high cholesterol.
(soft music)
- [Jane] Like most of us, Bob Fogle is careful
to check in with his doctor regularly.
- I like to think I'm pretty good getting annual physicals
and my doctor reminds me if I don't.
Once or twice a year you find out how it's going.
- [Jane] It was on one of these routine visits
about 15 to 20 years ago that his blood tests
came back with some concerning results.
- One of the things we would check is a blood test
to check cholesterol, triglycerides and mine
was rather elevated.
- All of his values were really out of whack
so the good cholesterol, the HDL was way too low
his LDL, or the bad cholesterol, was way too high
and, interestingly, in Bob's case
his triglycerides were really high.
- What's this non-HCL?
I mean, is that good that it's lower, or?
- Cholesterol and triglycerides are really
fat, oily, fat-like substances that are in your blood.
And in order to travel around your blood
cholesterol and triglycerides actually travel in
these individual particles we call lipoproteins.
There's different sizes of these particles.
If you have a higher level of high density lipoprotein
cholesterol or HDL, on average you're actually at
lower cardiovascular disease risk.
That's why we call HDL the good cholesterol.
But then if you move to slightly larger particles
called LDL cholesterol, or low density lipoprotein
cholesterol, it turns out that those are
positively associated and actually cause most
forms of atherosclerosis and atherosclerotic-related
disease like heart attack.
- The thing about cholesterol and triglycerides is you
can't see it, you don't really feel it, there are
no signs or symptoms other than a blood test.
- That's one of the reasons why
the American Heart Association recommends that
adults over 20 years old get their serum cholesterol
checked every four to six years.
Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle
can do a lot to actually reduce their overall
cardiovascular disease risk, even independent
of what it does to their cholesterol levels.
- [Jane] With his family in mind
Bob worked with his doctors to take action
and make some changes.
(soft guitar music)
- My wife, I wanna be there for her.
Got three kids, I wanna be around for them.
So if I can modify my behavior, the hope is I'm
reducing risk factors.
- [Jane] The first step was medication
followed by a change in diet.
- They're overweight.
Having a slight calorie-deficit
so they start to lose weight and then
getting most of their calories from plant-based
sources, eating a modest amount of carbohydrates
usually in the form of whole grains
really trying to minimize simple sugars
and minimize high salt foods.
- I just try to pay attention
to avoiding fats or avoiding sugars.
I'm doing my best.
- [Jane] Bob's doctors also encouraged him to get moving.
- I have an elliptical machine that I try to do
two or three times a week.
Trying not to sit on my butt too much is a goal.
Moving is better than sitting.
I feel energized as a result.
- Regular physical activity can help in multiple ways.
Our skeletal muscle uses triglycerides, actually
as an energy source and so when you exercise and engage
your skeletal muscles repeatedly
then the triglycerides that are actually in
some of those lipoprotein particles
get metabolized and therefore
the amount of triglyceride in your blood goes down.
- [Jane] Bob also didn't have to look far
to find an eager workout partner.
- We have a Golden Retriever so I walk him.
He's two years old and strong and likes to walk fast
and so I use him as an assistant to get me to walk fast.
Just taking those little moments
to be as active as I can, I think, is helpful.
- [Jane] Bob hopes to inspire others
to learn their numbers and take action
if their cholesterol levels are elevated.
- Recognize that you do have control
over your diet, your activity.
You have to recognize those things
that contribute to that risk and take as many
steps as you can to alter, reduce that risk.
If there's some lifestyle changes you have to make
they're well worth it.
- Through optimization of his lifestyle, his risk for
developing a heart disease are much, much lower.
So I think what's most important
is that people know their numbers
and that you have your cholesterol checked at some point.
But you also have to keep in mind the context, as well
which means you need to know what your blood pressure is
you need to try to maintain an optimal body weight
follow a heart healthy lifestyle.
- It's something we can do for ourselves, so why not?
I think I'm doing well.
If I can do it, anybody can do it, that's for sure.