Issue 1 • Winter 2013
health
winning
Take control of cholesterol
Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage
PAID
Long Beach, CA
Permit No. 2041
W
hat does it mean to have
high cholesterol? And if you
have it, what should you do?
First, know that everyone needs
some cholesterol to be healthy. The
body makes all it needs.
But cholesterol is also in many of
the foods we eat. And too much of
the wrong type can build up inside
arteries. That can clog blood flow
to the heart. In time, it can lead to
heart disease or a heart attack.
So how much is too much? It
depends.
There are different healthy levels
for each type:
■ 
■
LDL is the bad cholesterol. It’s
mostly to blame for blocked arteries.
A level below 100 mg/dL is desirable.
■ 
■
HDL is the good cholesterol.
It helps remove LDL from the
bloodstream. An HDL level higher
than 60 mg/dL helps protect you
from heart disease, although higher
than 40 mg/dL for women and
higher than 45 mg/dl for men are
considered good.
■ 
■
Triglycerides are another type of
Welcome to
Gold Coast
Health Plan’s
(GCHP)
Member
newsletter,
Winning
Health
.
My name
is Michael
Engelhard, and I am your new CEO.
Since joining GCHP in September,
I have had the great pleasure of
working with Member Services
and the rest of the GCHP team, and
I am impressed as they make every
effort to deliver high-quality health
care services to you and your
family. My goal is to continue to
reinforce our Member-first focus.
I see this focus every day in our
staff, and I am committed to making
certain you can see it as well.
This newsletter is dedicated to
raising awareness about heart disease
and increasing knowledge about its
prevention. In this edition of
Winning
Health
, we have articles to help you
achieve those goals and much more.
I hope you find these articles
educational and enjoyable. GCHP
is your partner in maintaining good
health. Here’s wishing you and your
family a healthy and happy new year.
And remember, GCHP is your Plan!
Michael Engelhard
CEO, Gold Coast Health Plan
LETTER FROM THE CEO
Michael Engelhard
CEO
fat in the blood. A good reading is
less than 150 mg/dL.
To get your cholesterol numbers
where they should be, start with
some healthy habits. Aim to:
■ 
■
Be active on a regular basis.
■ 
■
Stay at a healthy weight.
■ 
■
Eat a diet low in cholesterol,
saturated fat and trans fats.
Your Provider can help you get
started. If these changes aren’t
enough, your Provider may also
suggest you take medicine.
To find a Provider, call Member
Services at
888-301-1228
.
Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
1 2,3,4