A cardiologist has listed four simple lifestyle changes you can make to reduce LDL, or bad cholesterol levels, in your body without taking medicines. According to Dr Adriana Quinones-Camacho, high cholesterol levels are extremely problematic for your heart health and should be kept within limits.

Bad cholesterol, which builds up in the walls of your arteries over years, leads to the formation of plaque, which narrows and hardens the arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. LDL then causes atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, thereby increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes and causing reduced blood flow to vital organs. High LDL levels are caused by factors that include an unhealthy diet – high in saturated and trans fats, a sedentary lifestyle, excessive smoking and drinking, genetics, obesity, and certain medical conditions like diabetes.

To avoid taking statins, you can naturally make some tweaks to your daily diet and lifestyle that help you keep your cholesterol levels good. These changes could be more effective than statins, lowering cholesterol permanently and improving your heart health. The four recommended changes by Dr Adriana are:

Make sure to stay away from saturated fats and only consume unsaturated ones, as what kind of fats you consume has a huge impact on your cholesterol levels. Foods that are packed with omega-3 fatty acids – like walnuts, salmon, flaxseeds, and mackerel – are great for your heart health.

More fibre in your diet can help reduce high cholesterol levels. According to Dr Adriana, fibre helps lower the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream and leads to significant improvements in your heart health.

Daily exercise and workouts have a positive effect not just on your physical health but also impact your cardiovascular health. Studies say almost any kind of exercise has a major impact on cholesterol – bringing it down. Also, since psychological stress is a contributing factor to high cholesterol, regular workouts – running, walking, HIIT, strength training, and even yoga – can mitigate that risk.

Always be in touch with your doctor and get regular heart tests done to know what condition you are in. Talking to your doctor can help determine lifestyle changes you should make along with any medication that may be a good fit for you.

According to experts, you need to get your cholesterol levels checked, depending on your:

The older you get, the more often you need to have your numbers checked.

If you have a close biological family member with a history of heart disease, you face a higher risk of heart problems, too. You may need cholesterol tests more often if your family member has high cholesterol or a history of heart attack or stroke.

If you have a heart disease diagnosis, you will need cholesterol tests more often.

Males need more frequent tests starting at a younger age.