A cholesterol test differs from other tests, in that, it is not used to diagnose or monitor a disease, but to estimate the risk of developing a disease, mainly heart disease. Cholesterol testing is now considered a routine part of preventative health care, because of the associated risk of hardening of the arteries, heart disease, and increased risk of death from heart attacks.
A cholesterol test is recommended to be done on all adults at least once every five years. Generally, testing will be for HDL cholesterol levels, LDL cholesterol levels, and triglyceride levels.
Sometimes testing is more frequent for people who have been prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs or diet to lower their high cholesterol. The reason for the frequency is to track how well the person is succeeding in balancing cholesterol levels, which in turn lowers the risk of developing heart disease.
Cholesterol test frequency can also increase for people with one or more risk factors for heart disease. These factors include:
Cigarette smoking
Hypertension
Age (Women 55 years or older or Men 45 years or older)
Family history of premature heart disease (immediate family members)
Having had a heart attack or pre-existing heart disease
Diabetes mellitus
A cholesterol test is also recommended for children and youths with the following risk factors:
Family history (history of high cholesterol or heart disease)
Overweight or obese
Consuming excessive amounts of saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol
Diabetes mellitus
If you want the most accurate results about your cholesterol levels, then it is best to go fasting from the night before when you go to see your doctor. The doctor will take a blood sample and send it off to the lab.
Ok, you have had your cholesterol test, got the results, so what do they mean? Well there are three categories of risk as follows:
Desirable: cholesterol below 200 mg/dl (5.18 mmol/l) reflects a low risk of heart disease
Borderline high: cholesterol of 200 to 239 mg/dl (5.18 to 6.18 mmol/l) reflects moderate risk.
High risk: cholesterol greater than or equal to 240 mg/dl (6.22 mmol/l) reflects high risk of heart disease.
The benefits of having a cholesterol test is that you will be able to identify what category you are in. If you are in the borderline high or high risk category, then you will need to take action.
Your doctor may prescribe cholesterol lowering drugs and recommend diet and exercise. Although some prescribed cholesterol drugs have serious side effects and cause further health problems.
Alternatively, you can choose the healthier path to lowering and managing cholesterol levels. Taking a quality natural supplement, with cholesterol lowering nutrients such as policosanol, has proven to be a major success among high cholesterol sufferers.
By visiting my website, I'll educate you more on the pitfalls to be wary of before choosing cholesterol treatment to positively impact your cholesterol test results, and introduce you to beneficial, natural ingredients you have probably never heard of.
Mary Ruddy is a strong advocate of natural and safe health care and enjoys nothing more than helping others make a positive impact on their lives. To find out more about how you too can improve your health naturally visit her website today at curing-cholesterol.com curing-cholesterol.com/
Visit her site curing-cholesterol.com curing-cholesterol.com/ to learn the natural and safe way for lowering cholesterol.
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