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Among atherosclerosis, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which are all related, cholesterol deposits start first.

The healthiest fats for cooking and using on food come from plants. Plant oils consist mostly of unsaturated fat, which in limited amounts is good for the heart. One can enjoy a wide variety of plant oils, such as avocado, canola, corn, flaxseed, grapeseed, olive, peanut, rice bran, safflower, soybean, sunflower, and walnut oils. But high heat can break down plant oil molecules and reduce health benefits. The most fragile plant oils include extra-virgin olive oil and nut oils, such as walnut oil.

In the journals

Can you be "fat and fit" � that is, overweight but still healthy because of regular exercise? There is no simple answer. But one study says that activity does not entirely reverse the effects weight has on heart health. The findings were published online Jan. 26, 2021, by the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

The study involved more than 527,000 adults, almost 70% of whom were men. People were placed into three groups based on their body mass index (BMI): normal, overweight, and obese. They also were grouped by activity level: regularly active (the minimum requirement from the World Health Organization, or WHO); insufficiently active (less than the WHO minimum, but some moderate to vigorous physical activity every week), and no exercise.

It takes a one-two punch to lower these risks for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

High cholesterol has long been known as a bad actor in heart health. Too much LDL (bad) cholesterol in your blood can lead to fatty deposits in your arteries and the formation of artery-narrowing plaque (atherosclerosis), heart attacks, and strokes.

But LDL doesn't act alone. Chronic inflammation � a persistent activation of the immune system � also fuels heart attack and stroke risks. That means you must address both high LDL levels and chronic inflammation to protect your health.