How Cholesterol Is Tested

Cholesterol is usually tested with a small blood sample that is drawn from your arm. You will be required to fast for about 9-12 hours before the test. Consuming food and beverages just before the test can produce results that are affected by what you have consumed recently. Usually, it will take a lab just a few hours to come back with your test results.

Why are people tested for cholesterol levels?

The cholesterol level in your body is closely related to the health of the heart. Your body has two forms of cholesterol. One is the good cholesterol or the HDL which stands for high density cholesterol. The other form is called LDL and it is often referred to as the bad cholesterol. LDL stands for low density cholesterol.

The HDL is responsible for collecting the excess cholesterol in the body and bringing it to your liver that will convert the excess cholesterol into bile fluid. The LDL is responsible for carrying cholesterol to various parts of the body. LDL is essential although excess levels will lead to clogged or hardened arteries that will have cholesterol deposited in them. Clogged or blocked arteries are the main causes of heart attacks and other heart related conditions. It is important for one to maintain a good level of HDL in their bloodstream while also keeping the LDL levels in check.

A cholesterol test will help a person analyze their cholesterol levels. They can then counter any problems my making necessary changes to their diet and exercise levels which are usually connected with cholesterol levels.

What should you look forward to in the tests?

Your test will give you readings in mg/dL or milligrams per decileter of blood. A healthy person should have HDL levels in excess of 40mg/dL. Anything lower than this will probably mean that your LDL level will be high, which is not good. In general, your LDL should be lower than 100 although patients already suffering from heart disease will need to maintain LDL level that is lower than 70mg/dL.

What can you do with your test results?

If your cholesterol levels are less than optimal, your doctor will advise you to make immediate changes to your diet. Foods that are rich in fatty-acids and saturated fat are often responsible for high cholesterol levels. Depending on the severity of your cholesterol problems, the doctor might also prescribe necessary medication to bring your cholesterol levels into check a lot sooner than diet and exercise.

Thomas Ajava writes for howlowercholesterol.com HowLowerCholesterol.com - learn how lower cholesterol can save your life and how to go about lowering cholestrol levels safely.