Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Page3 location Rayouj| | Exceed One Million Eligible Clinton associates will share in July 4th $609,201 as 1,797 em ployees received their vacation pay prior to the annual vacation shutdown. Of this amount, 1,311 Clinton associates received $472,794 while 486 Geneva associates shared in $136,407. This vacation pay is in addition to the $116,528 the 400 Geneva associates received in December and the $423,165 the 1,096 Clinton associates received as Christmas vacation pay. The combined payouts exceeded $1,148,894. Vacation pay is in addition to the seven paid holidays and other benefits eligible Clinton associates receive annually. Applications Being Taken for Loans The Clinton Credit Association is now accepting applications for undeveloped real estate loans for eligible S.C. plant em ployees, according to Manager Harvey Dickert. “We’re authorized to accept applications for qualifying property in amounts up to $30,000," noted Dickert. “Monthly payments can be spread over a 10-year period,” explained Dickert. “Our board of directors is very flexible,” said Dickert. "If the property loan request exceeds $30,000, the Board will consider each of these on an individual basis.” The Clinton Credit Association plans to expand its real estate loans into other areas in the future. “Anyone wishing to discuss our new loan program should contact the Credit Associa tion office.” “Our deposits now exceed $2,000,000,” emphasized Dickert. Our rapid growth has permitted us to expand our loan program while offering a variety of financial services to our members.” Cholesterol... A Heart Stopper! Coronary Heart Disease, our nation's number one killer, accounts for more deaths annually than all cancers combined. Choles terol is one of the direct causes of CHD. Since cholesterol can't be seen or felt, an estimated 25 percent of all adults in the U.S. are unaware that they currently have dangerously high-blood cholesterol levels. What is Cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fat-like substance pro duced by the liver. Sources are meats like bacon, steak and liver, and also milk pro ducts and eggs. While everyone’s body needs cholesterol to function, excess levels can cause “plaque” build-up along artery walls. Cholesterol build-up results in arteriosc lerosis, or “heardening” of the arteries. Se vere blockage of the artery wal Is can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Although heredity does play a role in cholesterol levels, high cholesterol can usually be traced to your eating habits, level of exercise and other aspects of your lifestyle. All Cholesterol Is Not “Bad” There are two types of Cholesterol: LDL Cholesterol and HDL Cholesterol. LDL, or Low-Density Lipoprotein, can cause heart disease when it’s present in high levels. In contrast, HDL, or High-Density Lipoprotein, is commonly known “good” cholesterol. HDL helps remove excess LDL Cholesterol from the bloodstream by carrying it back to the liver for disposal. Cholesterol and Other Risk Factors The following factors increase your risk for developing heart disease: High Blood Press ure, Cigarette Smoking, Diabetes Mellitus, Severe Obesity, Family History of Coronary Heart Disease. In addition, any of these factors, com bined with high cholesterol, multiplies your risk factor by 400 percent. If any of these factors apply to you, you should have your cholesterol levels checked regularly. Cholesterol Risk Levels The National Institute of Health (NIH) re commends that everyone over age 20 know their cholesterol level. To help identify peo- pleatrisk, the NIH hasdeveloped thefollow- ing scale to rank cholesterol risk levels: Cholesterol Level of 199 mg/dl or less — Desirable Blood Cholesterol. Cholesterol Level of 200 mg/dl-239 mg/dl — Borderline-High Blood Cholesterol. Cholesterol Level of 240 mg/dl and above — High Blood Cholesterol. Even if you have a reading of 200 mg/dl or less, you should be retested at least every five years. People with results of 200 mg/dl and above should see their physician. Your physician can confirm your results and de termine if you have a high risk of Coronary Heart Disease. In addition, if your results show a high cholesterol level, you may need to have a Lipoprotein Analysis done to determine whether your cholesterol reading indicates that you should change your eating habits or be treated further. Helping Your Heart The first step in helping your heart is to reduce your cholesterol levels. Reducing cholesterol by 25 percent can lead to a 50 percet reduction in the risk of a heart attack. There are several ways to reduce cholesterol: • Change What You Eat: The goal is to permanently change your eating habits — not go on a temporary diet. Since reducing cholesterol requires lowering the fat in your diet, start by: *Choosing only lean meats, and avoid all organ meats like liver. Visible fat and skin should be removed from all meats. *Limit shellfish, including shrimp and lobster, which are high in cholesterol. *Limit eggs, specifically egg yolks, to 2-3 per week. *Drink only skim or low-fat milk, and eat low-fat cheeses (if any). *Avoid palm and coconut oils. They are found primarily in commercially-baked pro ducts and non-dairy creamers. • Exercise Regularly: People who exercise at least 20 minutes a day, three times a week, have higher levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL) in their blood. This helps offset potentially high LDL levels (the dangerous cholesterol). • Quit Smoking: Smoking not only contributes to Lung Cancer and Coronary Heart Disease, but non-smokers tend to have high HDL levels (“good” cholesterol) in their blood. • Lower Your Stress Levels: Stress has been proven to increase choles terol levels. Reduction of stress in relation to cholesterol is just as important as a low-fat diet and exercise. • Medication When Necessary: In extreme cases, medication can be pre scribed in conjunction with the preceding factors to reduce high cholesterol levels. It’s Your Heart If you are 20 years of age or older, you owe it to your heart to have your blood cholesterol level checked. High cholesterol is a “quiet killer.” You can’t see it or feel it, but excess levels of cholesterol can lead to heart dis ease — which causes over one-half million deaths annually. Adopting a low-fat diet is the first step for anyone concerned about reducing their cholesterol level. It takes about four to six weeks for your body to respond to dietary changes. However, when a low-fat diet is combined with exercise and stress manage ment, your risk of heart disease can be re duced by 50 percent or more.