Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death in the United States . Experts estimate that patients with chronic kidney disease have 10 to 20 times the risk of developing heart disease. Understanding your blood work and the different types of fat in your diet can help you develop a plan to keep your heart healthy.

Knowing and understanding your cholesterol levels is a great place to start for a healthy heart. Not all cholesterol is created equal. To minimize damage to arteries, total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL. HDL, the good cholesterol, carries excess cholesterol from the blood to the liver, where it is reprocessed and excreted. HDL should be at least 35 mg/dL or higher. On the other hand, LDL, or bad cholesterol, is the type that can build on artery walls.  LDL should be less than 100 mg/dL.

Cholesterol from the foods we eat can raise LDL and total cholesterol but it is more important to focus on total fat intake. The newest dietary recommendations are to limit total fat intake to 20-35 percent of total calories daily. This translates into the information in the table at the bottom of this page.

Fat plays a major role in our diet. Fat provides us with essential fatty acids and fat soluble vitamins, in addition to flavor and enjoyment. Eliminating all fat from the diet is not a healthy practice, just as going overboard with fat does not promote a healthy heart. Balance and awareness are required when choosing the types of fat we eat. Know your limits and ask your doctor about your cholesterol levels and you will be on your way to a healthy heart.

All fats are also not created equal. The fats we eat are created from a mixture of basic units called fatty acids, which include:

• Saturated Fatty Acids are known to increase LDL and total cholesterol. Animal sources include red meat, and high fat dairy products, such as whole milk and butter. Coconut and palm kernel oil are vegetable sources of saturated fat, often found in baked goods. Keep your daily amount of saturated fat under 10 percent of total calories, which translates into 17 to 22 grams of saturated fat or less per day. Reading food labels and limiting portion sizes can help you recognize and decrease sat fats.

• Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs): Research shows that eating PUFAs in place of saturated fats decreases LDL levels.  PUFAs are found in seafood and vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, canola and safflower oil. Flaxseed and most nuts also contain PUFAs. Another 10 percent of daily calories can come from PUFAs.

• Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs):  Eating foods containing MUFAs has been shown to help lower LDLs and help increase HDL levels, both a benefit to the heart. Sources of MUFAs include canola oil, olive oil, peanut and avocado oil.  Up to 15 percent of total calories should come from MUFAs, or roughly 25-33 grams of monounsaturated fat daily. Enjoy cooking with olive oil or creating salad dressings from canola oil.

• Trans Fatty Acids (TFAs) can raise LDLs, along with reducing the good HDL levels. TFAs are chemically formed when vegetable oils are processed into margarine or shortening. Many prepared baked and snack foods contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, which indicates TFAs.  Reading the ingredient labels from foods will help to reduce trans fats from your diet.

The Diet Tips and Bits column was submitted by Amy McCallister, RD. Ms. McCallister is a registered dietitian for Fresenius Medical Care in Phoenix , Arizona .

The information contained herein is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended and should not be construed as the delivery of medical care. Persons requiring diagnosis or treatment, or those with specific questions, are urged to contact their local healthcare provider for appropriate care.

This article originally appeared in the December 2002 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine, Vol. 1, No. 2.

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