In addition to your doctor, other health professionals can help you control your blood cholesterol levels. These persons include:

• Registered dietitians (R.D.) or qualified nutritionists, who can explain food plans and show you how to make changes in what you eat. They can give you advice on shopping for and preparing foods, and eating out. They also can help you set goals for changing the way you eat, so you can successfully lower your high blood cholesterol without making big changes all at once in you eating habits or in your lifestyle.

  To find a Registered Dietitian contact:

  1. The National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics' Consumer Nutrition Hotline 1-800-366-1655,
  2. Your local hospital or health department, or
  3. Your doctor.

• The nurse in you doctor's office, who also may be able to answer questions about hour high blood cholesterol or your diet.

• Lipid specialists, who are doctors with an expertise in treating high blood cholesterol and similar conditions. In special cases, you may be referred to lipid specialist if the treatment your doctor is prescribing does not successfully lower you blood cholesterol levels.

• Your doctor, who can answer questions about the medicines you are taking. Be sure to tell your doctor about everything you are taking and if you feel different after you take any of them.

• Pharmacists, who are aware of the best ways to take medicines to lessen side effects and of the latest research on drugs.