(HealthDay News) -- You should check your cholesterol at least every five years, or more often if there's a problem, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) says.
Your blood sugar and blood pressure could influence your cholesterol levels, the association says, so a person with diabetes should pay particular attention to these risk factors.
The ADA offers these tips to help lower your cholesterol:
- If you smoke, quit.
- Lose any excess weight.
- Exercise most days of the week.
- Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet with plenty of fresh veggies, whole grains and fruit.
- Increase consumption of monounsaturated fats, such as canola oil, avocado oil or olive oil.
- Take a cholesterol-lowering medicine, if your doctor prescribes it.