This September for Cholesterol Education Month, our Founder and CEO, Katherine Wilemon, and Stanford Medicine Cardiologist and Scientific Advisory Board Member, Dr. Abha Khandelwal, talked with over 30 TV and radio shows across the country to discuss the importance of lowering your cholesterol for as long as possible to avoid heart disease.

High cholesterol is the single biggest cause of illness and death in America, affecting more than 94 million adults in the United States.

For some people, their genes lead to very high LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. One of the most common causes of genetically high cholesterol is familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). FH impacts 1 in 250 individuals worldwide, and if untreated it leads to early heart attacks and strokes.

We have decades of research showing high LDL cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Recent data shows that living with lower LDL for longer is one of the best things you can do to reduce your risk for heart disease. While a healthy diet and exercise is important for everyone, diet and exercise alone cannot lower cholesterol enough for someone with a genetic cholesterol-related disorder.

There are many medications that can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol. Statins are the first line of defense when it comes to getting your LDL to a safer level. A new study on the safety and effectiveness of statins shows the vast majority of people do not have side effects from statins, and they not only reduce LDL cholesterol, but they also reduce the risk for heart attack and cardiac death.

The American College of Cardiology also just updated its recommendation for medical experts suggesting an LDL target of less than 55 mg/dL for individuals with established cardiovascular disease.

If high cholesterol, early heart disease, or stroke run in your family, visit MoreFamiliesMoreHearts.org to learn more.