Allison Aubrey

When you get your cholesterol checked, results include LDL cholesterol, typically known as bad cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol, the good kind.

The new guidelines recommend that adults also test lipoprotein A, explains Leslie Cho, a preventive cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic.

Lipoprotein A is a causal risk factor.

which means it can greatly increase the risk of heart disease.

It's genetic and doesn't change much, so Cho says adults should have it tested once, and if it's elevated, doctors may recommend more aggressive steps to prevent heart disease, such as starting medications early.

Overall, the guidelines call for a more aggressive approach to prevention that will lead to more people being treated earlier.

Allison Aubrey, NPR News.

U.S.

Absolutely.

I think the holidays can bring kind of a perfect storm of triggers.

You know, returning to a childhood setting can stir up or kind of activate old emotional patterns.

And there's also the combination of high expectations, disrupted routines, alcohol, exhaustion, travel, and for some people, unresolved conflicts that can surface.

So it can create a rather emotionally charged atmosphere.

Sure.

Well, one thing I learned when I led NPR's Stress Less Challenge last year is how helpful it can be to walk away, to take a short break if you're in an intense emotional situation.

So if you find the temperature rising, try to quietly step away and try something called the 3-3-3 rule for anxiety.

It's recommended by lots of counselors and therapists.

So let me walk you through it really quickly.

You start by simply noticing and naming three things you see, you know, at the tree, the skies, your hands.

Then three things you hear or feel, the wind, the ground, like a bird chirp or, you know, even your own breath.