Fat: There are several types of fats in your diet. Each type of fat has a different effect on your blood cholesterol and your risk for heart disease. Too much total fat, no matter what the type, will increase your risk for heart disease. Your total fat intake should be less than 30 percent of your total calories each day.

 

Cholesterol: Cholesterol is influenced by the kinds of amounts of fat you eat. High amounts of saturated fat will increase your cholesterol and your risk of heart disease. Cholesterol is found in animal products: red meat, high fat dairy products, egg yolks, organ meats and shell fish. Your total cholesterol intake should be less than 300 mg per day.

 

Saturated Fat: A type of fat that is solid at room temperature. Too much saturated fat in your diet increases blood cholesterol and your risk for heart disease. Dietary sources include animal fats, high fat dairy products, solid shortening, butter, coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.

 

Polyunsaturated Fat: A type of fat that is liquid at room temperature. Too much polyunsaturated fat in your diet increases your blood cholesterol and your risk for heart disease. Dietary sources include corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil and sunflower oils.

 

Monounsaturated Fat: A type of fat that is liquid at room temperature. In small amounts, monounsaturated fats can help lower LDL and help raise HDL cholesterol. Dietary sources include olive, canola and peanut oils.

 

HDL Cholesterol: The "healthy" or "good" cholesterol that protects arteries against the formation of fatty deposits by removing "bad" cholesterol from the blood. You want a high HDL.

 

LDL Cholesterol: The "lethal" or "bad" cholesterol that leads to formation of fatty deposits in your arteries. Over time this build-up narrows the artery causing "atherosclerosis". You want a low LDL.

 

Triglyceride: The most common type of fat found in fatty tissue. Eating concentrated sweets (sugars), drinking alcohol or being overweight will raise your triglyceride level. High levels of triglycerides can increase your risk for heart disease, especially for women.

 

 

 

ENDUR-ACIN is a slow release niacin. Niacin is the most effective drug for raising HDL (good cholesterol). Unfortunately, it causes flushing in most patients. To prevent this, take the ENDUR-ACIN just before going to bed and take 325 mg of aspirin half an hour before the ENDUR-ACIN. (If your aspirin is enteric coated take it 60 to 90 minutes before the ENDUR-ACIN). Most of the problems with flushing occur when you first begin taking the drug and will lessen over the next several days.

 

Avoid hot liquids, hot showers and hot baths at night around the time of taking the ENDUR-ACIN. Spicy foods and chocolate may also make the flushing more intense.

 

You may also take ENDUR-ACIN with applesauce, which will help reduce the flushing.

 

Gradually increase your dose. Begin with 500 mg at bedtime. After four weeks, increase this to 1000 mg at bedtime. In four more weeks, increase to the 1500 mg dose.

 

You should have a cholesterol and liver enzyme test performed at six weeks and again about six weeks after reaching the 1500 mg dose.