Getting Your Cholesterol Tested

Your body needs cholesterol to make hormones and to keep your cells healthy. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made by the liver and found in your blood. It is also found in many foods you may eat, like meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products.

Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so you don't need to eat more of it.

Food from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and seeds, do not contain cholesterol.

You have high cholesterol if you have too much of it in your blood. High cholesterol puts you at greater risk for stroke, heart disease, and heart attacks. This is because the extra cholesterol builds up on the inside walls of the arteries. This buildup is called plaque.

As plaque gathers, it narrows the arteries and slows down the flow of blood to the heart and brain. This condition is called atherosclerosis. It is the main cause of heart disease and stroke.

Signs and Symptoms of High Cholesterol

High cholesterol rarely causes symptoms. The way to find out if you have this condition is to have a blood test called a lipid profile. You will need to fast before this test. Your healthcare provider will tell you how long to fast.

The results of this test give a measure of your total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride level, and LDL cholesterol. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol. It is the kind that clogs your arteries. Triglycerides are another form of fat that is part of your total cholesterol.

Higher levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are dangerous to your health.

High-density lipoprotein, or HDL cholesterol, is sometimes called "good" cholesterol. It sweeps up the LDL cholesterol from your arteries and sends it to your liver. There it can be processed and the extra removed from the body. HDL cholesterol protects you from cholesterol-related diseases, including stroke and heart attacks.

Low levels of HDL cholesterol raise your risk of getting heart disease and stroke.

Who Should Be Tested

All adults ages 20 or older should get their cholesterol levels checked every 5 years if they don't have heart disease.

After your first test results, your healthcare provider will let you know how often you need to be tested. This will depend on your risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke. If you are at higher risk, you may need to be checked more often.

You may be at a higher risk if you have a family history of early coronary disease or stroke. This means a male relative who had coronary heart disease before age 55. Or a female relative who had either a heart attack or stroke before age 65.

Your risk goes up as you get older. It also is greater if you are of a certain ethnic background. You may also be at risk if you have high cholesterol and:

• Smoke
• Have high blood pressure
• Don't get much exercise
• Are overweight or obese
• Eat an unhealthy diet
• Have prediabetes or metabolic syndrome, or
• Have diabetes

Your healthcare provider may consider other things when evaluating your risk for heart disease and stroke. It is important that you talk with your healthcare provider about all of your risk factors. Ask what you can do to help lower your risk.

In some cases, changing your lifestyle can lower your cholesterol levels and your risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.

Diagnosis and Treatment of High Cholesterol

For total cholesterol, the higher the number, the more likely it is that cholesterol will build up in your blood vessels.

For LDL and HDL cholesterol, talk with your healthcare provider about what your levels should be. Your triglyceride level should be under 150.

Treatment depends on your test results, as well as your risk for cholesterol-related diseases. People at the highest risk need the most aggressive treatment.

You may need to take medicine if you are at higher risk. Or you may need medicine if lifestyle changes don't lower your levels. If you have few or no risk factors, you may not need as much treatment.

You should discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider.

Eating a healthy diet, quitting smoking, and losing extra weight are recommended no matter what your cholesterol level. Your diet should include eating more:

• Fruits and vegetables
• High-fiber bread and cereals
• Whole grains and oats, and
• Dried beans and peas

Limit or don't eat foods containing saturated fat, cholesterol and trans fats. These include:

• Packaged crackers, chips, or cookies
• Chicken with the skin
• Fatty or red meat
• Egg yolks
• Deep-fried foods High-fat cheeses and
• Whole-milk dairy products

Be careful how much alcohol you drink. Too much alcohol can add extra pounds. It will also raise your triglycerides.

Being physically active can lower your risk for high cholesterol. Staying active helps you lose weight and raises your HDL cholesterol.

What We Have Learned

Cholesterol in your blood comes from your body and foods you eat. True or False The answer is True. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so you don't need to eat more of it.

High total cholesterol puts you at risk for diseases such as heart disease and stroke. True or False The answer is True. LDL cholesterol raises these risks, while HDL cholesterol lowers the risk.

Smoking will raise your risk of having cholesterol-related disease, including heart disease and stroke. True or False The answer is True. Not smoking is an important way to lower your risk.