Peggy R. Anderson

Extension Agent

September 29, 2010

It’s Cholesterol Awareness Month; Do You Know Your Numbers?

September is cholesterol awareness month according to Tammy Roberts, a nutrition and health education specialist with University of Missouri Extension. "It is important to be aware of your cholesterol numbers because high cholesterol is one of the major controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke," said Roberts.

When a person gets the results of their cholesterol blood test they should know their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. The desirable total cholesterol level is 200 mg/dL or below.

Low density lipoprotein or LDL is considered a good gauge for risk of heart attack and stroke. It is the LDL, along with other substances, that builds up on artery walls forming a thick plaque that narrows arteries and makes them less flexible. When a clot forms and blocks an artery a heart attack or stroke can be the result.

It is optimal for LDL to be below 129 mg/dL for people not at risk for heart disease and less than 100 mg/dL for those at risk for heart disease.

High density lipoprotein or HDL is also referred to as the good cholesterol. High levels of HDL can provide some protection against heart attack and stroke. HDL helps to keep the LDL from building up on artery walls.

For men, the average HDL reading is 40-50 mg/dL. In women, it is 50-60 mg/dL. Less than 40 for men and 50 for women puts you at a higher risk for heart disease. Above 60 mg/dL provides protection against heart disease.

"There are some things that impact cholesterol that we have no control over," said Roberts.

The factors we can't control include age and heredity. Cholesterol levels increase as people get older and high cholesterol tends to run in families.

"You can control your diet, weight and physical activity and all can impact your cholesterol numbers. Watch saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol. The body makes cholesterol from saturated and trans fats," said Roberts.

Saturated fats are found in foods such as high fat meat, cheese, milk and butter. Remember, there are plenty of meats that are lean and milk and cheese come in low fat and no fat varieties. Food labels must list amounts of trans and saturated fats. Roberts recommends eating as little as possible.

Being overweight can increase your cholesterol numbers and it is also a risk factor for heart disease. Be sure to get 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. "Everyone over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol checked at least every five years; more often if you have high cholesterol or are at risk for heart disease," said Roberts

Be on the Lookout for New Credit Card Offers

Credit card companies have started to aggressively market professional credit cards. These offers might be showing up in your mailbox, but before taking any action you should know what to expect.  Eileen St. Pierre, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension personal finance specialist, said these offers look like typical credit card offers, but they are not.

“Professional cards aren’t covered under the Credit Card Accountability and Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, also called the Card Act,” St. Pierre said. “This act prohibits issuers from controversial billing practices such as sudden interest rate increases, shortened payment cycles and inactivity fees, but it doesn’t apply to professional cards.”

According to research, during the first quarter of 2010 credit card issuers mailed out 47 million professional card offers. This is a 256 percent increase from the same period last year. St. Pierre said bank profits have been reduced by many of the Card Act’s provisions.

“By moving cardholders out of protected consumer cards into professional cards, banks are trying to recoup some of their lost revenue,” she said.

The Card Act bars issuers from raising rates on existing balances unless a cardholder is at least 60 days late with a payment. However, with one particular professional card, the issuer is allowed to implement a default rate of 29.99 percent if a customer is just one day late with the payment.  St. Pierre said card issuers do not have to follow the same rules when applying payments to professional credit card balances.

“The Card Act stipulates that issuers must apply payments in excess of the minimum to the balances with the highest interest rate,” she said. “On some professional cards, payments are applied to low-rate balances first. This makes it more difficult for cardholders to reduce their balances.”

Card issuers appear to be easing their application requirements for professional cards, needing much less information than earlier offers.  For example, in January mailings for one particular professional card, prospective cardholders were asked to provide the name of their company, nature of business, address and federal employer identification number. In July mailings, applicants only had to check a box that said “Yes, I’m a business owner” or “Yes, I am a business professional with business experience.”

“In today’s tough business lending environment, some small business owners may benefit from increased access to these professional cards,” St. Pierre said. “As consumers, be aware of the information you are receiving and be very cautious before signing up for any new credit cards.”

To opt-out of having pre-approved credit offers sent to you, call 1-888-567-8688 or visit the website http://www.optoutprescreen.com for more information

Schedule

Wednesday, September 29 – Burke County

Thursday, September 30 – Divide County

Friday, October 1 – Burke County

Monday, October 4 – Burke County

Tuesday, October 5 – Divide County