American Heart Association: Education and Action Are the Keys to Cholesterol Control.

DALLAS -- The American Heart Association is relaunching one of its most popular Web sites -- americanheart.org/cholesterol -- to help the millions of Americans who have high cholesterol learn more about this major -- but controllable -- risk factor for heart disease.

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The newly redesigned site offers visitors an interactive quiz to test their cholesterol IQ; tips for choosing healthy menu items at restaurants; and the Heart Profilers treatment options tool, which helps people understand all available treatment options -- and their side effects.

"Many patients know that cholesterol is important, but they need to better understand what their numbers mean and manage their risk for heart disease and stroke, the No. 1 and No. 3 killers in America", said Roger S. Blumenthal, M.D., associate professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine. "This Web site is great way for people to educate themselves."

High cholesterol (200 mg/dL and over) is one of the major controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke and affects more than 48% of Americans. The liver and other cells in the body make some blood cholesterol. The rest comes from food and beverages eaten.

To manage cholesterol and prevent heart disease, the American Heart Association recommends that you:

* Schedule a screening with your physician. Screenings should begin at age 20 for men and women and be done every 5 years if your numbers are healthy; more often if they are elevated.

* Eat foods low in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat

* Maintain a healthy weight

* Be physically active

* Avoid tobacco products and smoke

For those diagnosed with high cholesterol, the free Heart Profilers cholesterol tool helps them make sense of all their options.

"Heart Profilers has been proven via research to increase patients' understanding and improve their adherence to recommended treatments, " said Ileana L. Pina, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University. "For common conditions like cholesterol, this tool is a real asset to the doctor-patient relationship."