Everyone knows that high cholesterol can contribute to heart disease. But do you know what qualifies as high cholesterol and where it really comes from? Test your knowledge with this short quiz. For more information, see the Heart Health Library or talk to your doctor. Select the best answer to each of the following questions. When you’re finished, click the submit button.

1 . Most of your blood cholesterol is       A.  produced by your own body     B.  comes from the foods you eat     C.  a product of aging     D.  none of the above   2 . How much of your daily cholesterol intake does one egg contain?       A.  1/4     B.  2/3     C.  1/2     D.  not a notable amount   3 . How does menopause affect a woman’s cholesterol?       A.  increases HDL (good) cholesterol     B.  decreases LDL (bad) cholesterol     C.  increases LDL (bad) cholesterol     D.  has no effect   4 . What percentage of Americans have cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dl?       A.  about 10 percent     B.  about 30 percent     C.  about 50 percent     D.  about 70 percent   5 . HDL (good) cholesterol is lowered by:       A.  exercise     B.  smoking     C.  diet     D.  drugs   6 . Which food contains the least cholesterol?       A.  banana     B.  shrimp     C.  egg     D.  milk   7 . At what age should you begin to have your cholesterol checked?       A.  20     B.  30     C.  40     D.  50   8 . The medical term for the “hardening of your arteries” caused by plaque build up is:       A.  hypertension     B.  myocardial infarction     C.  congestive heart failure     D.  atherosclerosis