New Resource Helps Teach Seniors About Cholesterol

Many patients, particularly older patients, have their blood cholesterol checked regularly, but some may not understand why. Because these patients might not have any unusual symptoms, they may view the tests as a waste of their time and money. To help such patients understand the value of blood cholesterol screening, the NIH has added information on the topic to NIHSeniorHealth.gov, a patient information Web site designed especially for seniors.

The site consists of easy-to-navigate, illustrated chapters that cover the definition of high blood cholesterol, causes of high blood cholesterol, symptoms and diagnosis, and treatment. The site also offers a section with frequently asked questions and links visitors to further information about high blood cholesterol on MedlinePlus.

Among questions the NIHSeniorHealth site can answer for patients:

The site discusses ways to avoid or lower high blood cholesterol, including exercise and eating a healthy diet. It provides descriptions of tests that patients' physicians might perform and how the tests will be done. At the end of each section, seniors can take a quiz to check their understanding of the material presented.

Lowering high cholesterol levels reduces the risk of developing heart disease. According to Elizabeth Nabel, M.D, director of NIH's National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, "NIHSeniorHealth is a great resource for older adults who want to learn more about how to prevent, detect and treat high blood cholesterol."

NIHSeniorHealth.gov is a joint effort of the National Institute on Aging and the National Library of Medicine. The information on the site is based on the latest research on cognition and aging. The design of the site is senior-friendly and features short, easy-to-digest segments of information that can be accessed in a number of different formats, including as large-print type, open-captioned videos and audio presentations.