September Is National Cholesterol Education Month

September 29, 2025

September is National Cholesterol Education Month. If you haven’t recently brushed up on your cholesterol knowledge, now is the time!

“Cholesterol is a very important part of our body,” says Dr. Diala Steitieh, assistant professor of clinical medicine and director of the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy program in the Division of Cardiology at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. “It’s important to have cholesterol within your body’s system and circulating within your blood vessels.”

How Cholesterol Helps Your Body

The National Institutes of Health defines cholesterol as a “waxy, fat-like substance” in all your body’s cells. This substance travels throughout your body through your blood. As it does, it helps produce the following:

Cells
Hormones
Substances that aid in digestion
Vitamin D

Cholesterol also feeds your brain, enhancing your ability to learn and recall information. The substance is so important to your health that you don’t need outside sources. Your body produces enough cholesterol to function properly.

When Cholesterol Harms Your Health

While your body produces plenty of cholesterol on its own, certain foods also contain cholesterol. Be particularly cautious of foods high in saturated fat. They can lead to weight gain and higher cholesterol levels.

High-cholesterol foods that often have saturated fat include:

Baked goods, such as cookies and cakes
French fries, fried chicken and other fried foods
Red meats, which include beef, lamb and pork
Sausage, bacon and other processed meats

Eat enough of these foods over time and the amount of cholesterol in your blood may increase. The result can be dangerous.

“If you have too much circulating cholesterol, it can deposit in the arteries supplying blood to the heart or brain, leading to heart disease, heart attack or stroke,” Dr. Steitieh says. “Then it can deposit in small vessels, such as those in the legs. That often leads to pain with walking that resolves with rest.”

Use National Cholesterol Education Month to Your Advantage

How can you take advantage of cholesterol’s benefits and reduce the risks of high cholesterol? The first step is to learn your cholesterol levels. A simple blood test helps you do that.

Also known as a lipid profile or advanced cholesterol analysis, this test shows how much of each type of cholesterol you have. Two main types of cholesterol in your body are:

High-density lipoprotein (HDL). Also called “good” cholesterol, HDL helps lower your overall cholesterol. It does this by transporting cholesterol to your liver, which processes and gets rid of cholesterol.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Get too much of this “bad” cholesterol, and you’re at higher risk for clogged arteries.

Ideally, you should have a total cholesterol level of approximately 150 mg/dL and an LDL of 100 mg/dL or lower. To help your body get rid of excess cholesterol, aim for an HDL of at least 40 mg/dL (men) or 50 mg/dL (women). Depending on your levels, your primary care provider might suggest heart-healthy lifestyle choices or other ways to move toward better health.

“A lot of the time, some dietary changes or exercise can help with lowering cholesterol levels,” Dr. Steitieh says. “Or you may benefit from a cholesterol-lowering medication to really bring down that level.”

Want expert help monitoring and managing your cholesterol? Find a doctor at Weill Cornell Medicine during National Cholesterol Education Month or any other time to get started.