Johns Hopkins Health Alerts released a new Special Report, Seven Keys To Reduce Cholesterol, in order to reduce the risk of heart attack and improve one's overall health. The government's National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) estimates that at least 65 million Americans have high cholesterol levels that merit treatment with dietary and other lifestyle changes designed to lower cholesterol. The NCEP also states that as many as 36 million people should be taking cholesterol-lowering medications. Yet only 12 to 15 million of them are currently taking these medications, such as statin drugs (for example, Crestor, Lipitor, Zocor), and many (probably most) are taking too small a dose of statins to reduce cholesterol to safer levels effectively. As many Americans are now aware, abnormal levels of cholesterol carried in the blood -- and in particular a high level of LDL, or so-called "bad" cholesterol -- significantly increase the risk for coronary heart disease and heart attack. It is also well established that reducing cholesterol to achieve optimal levels can significantly reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Who is at risk of having a heart attack? EVERYONE. Heart disease is the NUMBER ONE killer of BOTH men AND women. LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides -- are not the only risk factors for coronary heart disease. The risk increases with age, and if you also have a family history of premature heart disease, or are obese, smoke, have high blood pressure, or suffer from diabetes. Any decision about treating your cholesterol should be made in consultation with your doctor, taking all these heart disease and heart attack risk factors into account. Whatever your heart health risk factors are, information is often the best weapon in the fight against heart disease. Now is the time for people to re-evaluate whether they need to reduce their cholesterol. In this free Johns Hopkins Special Report Seven Keys to Reduce Cholesterol, readers will learn seven effective, proven, practical keys for lowering cholesterol-with the latest, best information and advice direct from Johns Hopkins, ranked #1 of America's Best Hospitals for 16 consecutive years. These keys include knowing the optimal cholesterol levels, diet, how to boost HDL, whether statins can benefit a user personally, and the latest news on "Combo Therapy" in treating cholesterol. Written by two of the specialists at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Dr Simeon Margolis, Medical Editor of The Johns Hopkins Medical Letter: Health After 50 and Johns Hopkins White Papers for nearly two decades, and Dr. Roger S. Blumenthal, the Director of Johns Hopkins' renowned Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Seven Keys to Reduce Cholesterol presents the latest medical research on the dangers of high cholesterol, and provides a powerful range of effective strategies for lowering your cholesterol safely. Table of Contents: Seven Keys to Reduce Cholesterol 1-Know Your "Target" Cholesterol Levels 2-Focus on the Right Fats 3-Make the Most of Cholesterol-Busting Foods 4-Reduce Cholesterol with Medication 5-Consider "Combo Therapy" to Reduce Cholesterol 6-Boost Your HDL Cholesterol for Multiple Benefits 7-The ABCs of Heart Attack Prevention To download the report, visit http://www.hopkinsreports.com/cholesterol | 