Fat has gotten a pretty bad rap, and in all fairness, much of it is well deserved. Consuming too much saturated fat can up your LDL (or bad cholesterol) level, while trans fat, once considered to be a healthy alternative to animal fat, not only raises your LDL level, it also lowers your HDL, or good, cholesterol level.

Once you’ve come to terms with the fact that you’re among the 17 percent of Americans over the age 20 whose total cholesterol has been clocked at or above 240 milligrams per deciliter, you need to make a plan as to how you’re going to reverse this number and put a stop to the heart disease that is now encroaching upon your arteries with clogging plaque.

In fact, the study results found that the odds of an emergency room visit or hospitalization among asthmatics using corticosteroids who also took cholesterol medicine decreased by 33 percent, perhaps due to the anti-inflammatory effects that the statins have on their users.

As the saying goes, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." And for those who have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, this may very well be true. Apples are good sources of fiber, and experts believe that the more fiber you eat, the less likely you are to develop heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack.