The lifestyle issues discussed in the Prevention section (physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use) are critical in the management of high cholesterol. Refer to these sections for strategies to address these underlying health behaviors.
Refer to the Physical Inactivity and Nutrition sections for the BASIC Preventive Benefits strategy, including lifestyle elements critical to the management of elevated cholesterol.
- Create opportunities that increase access to blood cholesterol screening.
- Promote awareness among individuals with elevated cholesterol of steps to take to reduce it to recommended levels.
- Support efforts to increase the affordability and accessibility of prescription medications that help to lower elevated blood cholesterol.
- Enhance health system adoption of ATPIII guidelines and lifestyle improvement in disease prevention and management.
A. Create opportunities that increase access to blood cholesterol screening.
Sample Strategies
Program Services
- Add blood cholesterol screening to those sites that already provide blood pressure screening.
- Provide Family Medicine practices across NC with tools for patient education about physical activity, nutrition, and cholesterol control (NC Academy of Family Physicians and Cooperative Extension).
Public Awareness
- Continue the Start With your Heart awareness campaign to encourage all adults to know and understand their cholesterol numbers and emphasize the importance of making lifestyle changes now to prevent cardiovascular disease in the future. (For more information, see public awareness chapter)
Policy
- Encourage worksites to establish policies for regular employee blood cholesterol screening.
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B. Promote awareness among individuals with elevated cholesterol of steps to take to reduce it to recommended levels.
Sample Strategies
Program Services
- Support worksites and churches by encouraging involvement of community organizations and local health departments to provide classes to give people the skills they need to reduce cholesterol levels—preparing/selecting low cholesterol foods and increasing physical activity.
- Disseminate the Medical Review of North Carolina and HDSP brochure on cholesterol testing to Medicare recipients with diabetes in NC.
Public Awareness
- Utilize social marketing to develop campaigns to raise public awareness about the necessary lifestyle changes, particularly dietary changes, to reduce elevated blood cholesterol.
Policy
- Encourage the establishment of healthy worksite policies by distributing examples of policies to offer healthful food options in worksite cafeterias, food stands, snack bars and vending machines.
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C. Support efforts to increase the affordability and accessibility of prescription medications that help to lower elevated blood cholesterol.
Sample Strategies
Program Services
- Continue to pursue funding and models (e.g. AIDS model) to assist individuals at 125% federal poverty level or less in accessing cholesterol-lowering medications.
- Support the NC Medical Society’s resolution to simplify the standards and paperwork in pharmaceutical donation programs for indigent populations.
Public Awareness
- Provide cues and messages that encourage people to take advantage of medications that are offered at a lower cost and emphasize the benefits that this method of cholesterol management could have on their health.
Policy
- Support legislative efforts to provide affordable lipid-lowering medications, particularly through local health departments and community centers.
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D. Enhance health system adoption of ATPIII guidelines and lifestyle improvement in disease prevention and management.
Sample Strategies
Program Services
- Integrate cholesterol management into the Chronic Disease Collaboratives.
Responsible Parties and Partnering Organizations:
NC HDSP Branch, NC Diabetes Branch, NC WiseWoman Program, Division of Public Health, NC-DHHS; the American Heart Association; North Carolina Dietetic Association; Local Health Departments; NC Academy of Family Physicians; Cooperative Extension; Medical Review of North Carolina; and NC Community Health Center Association.
Last Updated 01/05/09
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