It happens about every 29 seconds - an American suffers a coronary event and about every minute, someone dies from one.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and chances are you or someone you know is affected by this disease.

While many factors influence your risk of developing heart disease, a high blood cholesterol level is one of them.  Your blood cholesterol level is made up of the cholesterol produced by your liver and the cholesterol in the foods you eat.

Blood or serum cholesterol refers to the cholesterol that floats in the blood.  This waxy substance is naturally made by the liver and is essential for life.  It is part of every cell in the body and it is used to make estrogen, testosterone, vitamin D, and bile.

Dietary cholesterol refers to the cholesterol in food.  Only foods of animal origin contain cholesterol.  Meat, poultry, seafood, organ meats, egg yolks and dairy products like milk, cheese, ice cream and butter all have cholesterol.  Fruits, vegetables and grains like cereal, bread, pasta and rice are naturally cholesterol free.

Because blood cholesterol is waxy and cannot dissolve in water, it is carried through the blood in tiny packages called lipoproteins.  Low density lipoproteins (LDLs) and high density lipoproteins (HDLs) are cholesterol carriers.  Excess LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) dumps its cholesterol cargo onto your artery walls which forms artery-clogging plaque and increases heart disease risk.  HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) gathers up excess cholesterol preventing plaque build-up in the arteries.  A high HDL cholesterol is protective against heart disease — the more HDL you have the better.

Your blood cholesterol level can be measured with a simple blood test.  Ask your doctor for a lipoprotein profile.  Ideally, you would like to have a total cholesterol below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), an LDL below 100 mg/dL and an HDL of 40 mg/dL or higher.

Lifestyle choices greatly impact blood cholesterol levels.  Cutting back on foods high in fat, especially saturated fat, and cholesterol can help lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Losing extra weight, quitting smoking and being more physically active can help increase HDLs.