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Ankle/brachial index
The ankle/brachial index is one way your doctor can look for signs of plaque buildup or other vascular diseases. The test is done by measuring blood pressure at the ankle and in the arm and dividing the systolic pressure in the ankle by the systolic pressure in the arm.

Artery or arteries
Arteries are relatively thick-walled blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body. They play a major role in the function of the cardiovascular system.

Atherosclerosis or athero
Atherosclerosis, or “athero” as we like to call it, is the progressive buildup of plaque in the arteries over time. LDL (bad) cholesterol and other health factors such as a family history of early heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and being overweight can all play a role in the formation of plaque. This plaque starts building up in our arteries in early adulthood and gets worse over time.

Body mass index (BMI)
A more accurate measure of ideal weight, BMI is an estimation of body fat based on height and weight. According to guidelines from the National Institutes of Health, a normal BMI range is 18.5 to 24.9. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.

Bruits
Pronounced “brew-ees,” bruits are the faint whooshing noises caused by the turbulence of blood rushing through restricted arteries. This is a common way for your doctor to look for signs of the slow buildup of plaque in the arteries over time, a disease called atherosclerosis.

Calorie
A calorie is a measure of the energy that you get from the food you eat. A calorie from food is sometimes called a kilocalorie. There aren't different types of calories — the energy you get from one calorie in a piece of lettuce is the same as the energy you get from one calorie in a piece of meat.

Diabetes
A disease in which the body cannot convert food into energy because of a lack of insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas) or because of an inability to use insulin. Diabetes is a serious condition that can cause complications ranging from numbness to loss of vision to coma. It also significantly raises the risk for other conditions, such as stroke and heart disease. About 20.8 million Americans have diabetes.

Dietary (soluble) fiber
Dietary fiber is important to your health. It slows digestion, extends the feeling of fullness, and can also lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol. This fiber can be found in certain foods, such as peas, beans, and apples.

Familial hypercholesterolemia
For a small number of people, high cholesterol levels, especially LDL cholesterol levels, are due to genetic variations in their LDL receptors — the place where LDL cholesterol enters the cell. This is called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). People with FH need to manage their cholesterol closely and they may need to have their cholesterol levels tested when they are younger. LDL-cholesterol-lowering drugs may be recommended by a doctor sooner than for those without the genetic variation. In fact, people with FH can have total cholesterol levels that are four to six times normal.

Fasting lipid profile
Also known as a cholesterol test, this is used to determine your levels of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. You will be asked to fast before you have a test to measure your blood cholesterol level. This means you have nothing to eat or drink — except for water — for 9 to 12 hours before the test.

Fat
A class of energy-rich food that comes from a substance found mainly in animal tissue and certain plants. There are 9 calories in each gram of fat — more than twice the calories in protein or carbohydrates.

Gram
A measure of weight in the metric system. Approximately 28 grams make 1 ounce.

HDL (good) cholesterol
HDL cholesterol is considered "good" because it helps return cholesterol to the liver, where it can be eliminated from the body. As a rule, you want your HDL cholesterol high.

High blood pressure
When the pressure at which blood is pumped through the arteries by the heart is above an average range, it is called high blood pressure, or hypertension. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers — the systolic pressure (as the heart beats) over the diastolic pressure (as the heart relaxes). For most people, blood pressure should be kept at or below 120/80.

High blood sugar
An excessive amount of sugar in the blood, also known as hyperglycemia, is a sign of diabetes.

LDL (bad) cholesterol
LDL is a lipoprotein that carries cholesterol throughout the bloodstream as LDL cholesterol, or LDL-C. If you have too much LDL-C circulating in your bloodstream, it can lead to the slow buildup of plaque in the arteries over time, a disease called atherosclerosis. That's why it's so important to talk to your doctor. As a rule, you want to keep your LDL-C low.

Monounsaturated fat
An unsaturated fat found primarily in plant-based foods such as olive and canola oils. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Substituting monounsaturated fats (instead of saturated fats such as butter and lard) can help lower cholesterol.

National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP)
Launched in 1985 by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a part of the National Institutes of Health, the NCEP works to reduce the incidence of high cholesterol and related health conditions in the US by establishing guidelines and recommendations on cholesterol management and promoting them to health care professionals, patients, and the general public.

National Institutes of Health (NIH)
The federal government's centralized source for health information and research.

Obese, obesity
Excessive fat in body tissues. Obesity increases the danger of developing many health conditions, including diabetes and certain heart problems. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines overweight as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9 and obese as having a BMI of 30 or greater.

Omega-3 fatty acids
A substance found in fish oil and some plants that may be helpful in reducing heart disease.

Overweight
Weighing more than is healthy for your age and size. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute defines overweight as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 29.9.

Plaque
Plaque is the fatty deposits and other cells that can slowly build up in the walls of your arteries over time, a disease called atherosclerosis. One major cause is high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol. Other health factors, such as a family history of early heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and being overweight, can also play a role.

Polyunsaturated fat
An unsaturated fat found primarily in plant-based foods such as corn, sunflower, safflower, and soybean oils. Polyunsaturated fats are liquid or soft at room temperature. Substituting polyunsaturated fats (instead of saturated fats such as butter and lard) can lower cholesterol.

Protein
Protein is composed of a chain of amino acids. Our muscles, organs, and glands are largely made of protein. Our bodies can produce 13 of the 20 or so amino acids we need to make proteins, but the other amino acids (about 9) can be gotten only from food. There are 4 calories in each gram of protein.

Saturated fat
Saturated fats are usually found in animal products, including fatty meat and dairy products, and are usually solid at room temperature. However, they are also found in some vegetable oils, including coconut and palm oils.

Side effects
Secondary effects of a drug or therapy (as opposed to the main therapeutic effect) that are undesirable. The most common side effects of CRESTOR^® (rosuvastatin calcium) are headache, muscle pain, abdominal pain, weakness, and nausea.

Stanols and sterols
Stanols and sterols are chemicals present in certain plants that have been shown to help reduce high cholesterol. They may be found as ingredients in certain margarines and salad dressings that claim to lower cholesterol.

Statin
A type of cholesterol-lowering medicine that inhibits cholesterol production in the liver. For example, CRESTOR, a statin drug, works by blocking an enzyme in the liver. Blocking this enzyme causes the liver to make less cholesterol. CRESTOR also helps the liver absorb and use more cholesterol from the blood.

Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another fat produced by the liver and also found in food. Like high cholesterol, they can be dangerous to your health. As a rule, you want to keep your triglycerides low.

Unsaturated fat
Unsaturated fat is found primarily in plant-based foods and is usually liquid at room temperature. Eating more unsaturated fat (instead of saturated fat such as butter and lard) can help lower cholesterol. There are two main types of unsaturated fat: monounsaturated (such as olive and canola oils) and polyunsaturated (such as corn, sunflower, safflower, and soybean oils).