Dr. V. Reid Cotten
Lipid Clinic Director
The Jackson Heart Clinic, P.A. has created a lipid management program to assist and educate patients with abnormal cholesterol levels. Ninety percent of all cardiovascular disease is caused by cholesterol. Every 10% lowering of cholesterol reduces heart disease risk by 30%. There are many factors that increase the risk of heart disease, and cholesterol is an important correctable risk factor.
How does the Program Work?- An initial fasting lipid profile
- Three classes detailing your cholesterol levels, what they mean, and how to treat them through diet, exercise, and if needed, medication therapy.
- Food and product demonstration with meal planning and label reading.
- A hands-on cooking class at the Viking Cooking School in Ridgeland.
- Follow-up lipid clinic appointment with lab review.
The cost for the Food for Life educational series, including the cooking class, is $120.00. Spouses can attend (and we encourage it) classes 1 and 2 for no additional cost, but will have to pay an extra $59.00 to also attend the cooking class (or they can attend in place of the patient for no additional fee). Insurance does not cover these costs and the fee will be due at the first class. A missed class can be made up in a subsequent month.
Patients and non-patients may attend the Food for Life series. Our emphasis is on lipid management and is therefore especially good for those trying to control or improve cholesterol levels with lifestyle effort.
We offer both day and night classes. Morning classes meet on Tuesday from 9–11 a.m. and evening classes on Thursday from 6-8 p.m. The location of these classes is split between the Jackson Heart Clinic Dominican Plaza building for classes 1 and 2, and the Viking Cooking School in Ridgeland for our last class meeting. If you are interested in attending, please call the Lipid Clinic at
Jackson Heart Clinic 601-982-7850, ext. 147 for more information.
Food for Life Class Series
The Food for Life class series is designed to help those attending more effectively manage decisions related to diet and exercise for the purpose of improving cholesterol levels as well as overall health. There are three group classes in the educational series and each class covers a different aspect of lifestyle management.
Class One lays an important foundation giving those in attendance a better understanding of the role that cholesterol plays in the development coronary heart disease as well as other risk factors that should be considered, what a lipid panel tells us about heart disease risk, and most importantly what we can do to control these risks with diet and exercise.
Class Two continues with strategies for grocery shopping with the food label as the guide through the class. Items from the grocery store are brought to class and the food label is explained line by line. Emphasis is placed on understanding two important and often misunderstood foods, fat and sugar. Making good decisions at the grocery store is an important first step in a healthy lifestyle.
Class Three is dedicated to putting into action what has been learned with a hands-on cooking class at the Viking Cooking School in Ridgeland. Each participant will prepare a delicious and healthy meal with the help of an instructor, and then get to eat the finished product. Each participant will receive recipes to take home.
