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(California News Service) October is Health Literacy Month - so experts are educating people on an important indicator of health - cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, leads to a buildup of plaque in your arteries, which can cause a heart attack or stroke, the number one and four leading causes of death in California.

Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, a cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and a past president of the American Heart Association, said LDL is a serious matter.

"We shouldn't mess around with this," he said. "People should know their numbers, and if they're inappropriately elevated for their situation, they should work with their doctor to figure out how they're going to lower their numbers, particularly that LDL or bad cholesterol."

A simple blood test can reveal your LDL level. People are at higher risk for disability or death if they also have diabetes or high blood pressure, if they smoke, or if they have had a prior heart attack or stroke. Medicine and changes to diet and lifestyle can make a big difference.

Lloyd-Jones added that genetics determine what a person's LDL range is likely to be, but there's no single magic number.

"For one person, we might say if you're young and healthy, an LDL cholesterol of 140 is fine for you. But for another person who already has cardiovascular disease or who has diabetes, 140 is way too high, and we need to get that down below 70 or even lower," he explained.

He added that about one-third of people are "hyper-absorbers", which means that dietary fat or cholesterol is more likely to elevate their blood cholesterol level.