Jenny Petz: Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol.

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans has high LDL cholesterol, often called the “bad” cholesterol, which is one of the major controllable risk factors for coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Since high cholesterol typically has no symptoms, it’s important to get levels regularly checked. Here, American Heart Association Go Red for Women National Volunteer Jenny Petz shares her experience and offers encouragement for those managing high cholesterol after a heart event. 

My name is Jenny, and I am 46 years-old. When I was only 32, I nearly died from a heart attack and learned I had been living with high cholesterol.

When you look at me, you would never think that I have high cholesterol. For much of my life, I didn’t think I had it either. I looked like the picture of health. I maintained a healthy weight, exercised, ate a healthy diet and never smoked.

But that all came to a screeching halt on January 3, 2008—eight days after giving birth to my son—when I suffered a rare type of heart attack called a spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). It wasn't until I was in the hospital getting three stents put in that they discovered a 98% blockage in one of my arteries.

The news shocked and scared me. I always felt I was healthy, so why did this happen to me? The doctors told me that the most likely cause of the blockage was elevated cholesterol from the course of my life, even as a child. That is how I found out that I have hypercholesterolemia, or hereditary high cholesterol. I’ll admit, I did not know my numbers. I had not even thought about cholesterol. I didn’t think I had to worry about things like that in my 30s. I was wrong. Almost dead wrong.

After my heart attack, I worked with specialists who helped me understand there was no amount of diet and exercise I could do to fully manage this on my own. The fact is, hypercholesterolemia is hereditary and medication is necessary for keeping my levels in a safe range. I’ve been taking medication since then.

Now, this doesn’t mean I use medication as a crutch. I still do all I can to make myself feel better, including eating healthy and continuing to exercise. I just know my medication helps prevent another heart event.

The experience really opened my eyes and made me encourage my family and friends to check their cholesterol levels. Some members of my family even discovered they, too, have hypercholesterolemia.

I hope my story can encourage others, particularly women, to know their numbers. Schedule that appointment you may be putting off. Or, if you have already experienced a heart attack or stroke, keep sticking with your medication and healthy habits. You are not alone, and it is so worth it to keep yourself healthy.

Visit American Heart Association’s Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol.^TMInitiative, nationally supported by Amgen, for more resources.