Cholesterol Testing
Monday, October 8th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
When Should I Start Cholesterol Testing?
Doctors recommend that you start using cholesterol testing at around the age of 20. Although it is likely that your levels will be normal at that time of your life, it provides a baseline for your doctor to work with should it become necessary in the future. More tests should follow every five years unless symptoms of high cholesterol become evident in which case cholesterol testing should be carried out more frequently.
[phpbay]”cholesterol test|cholesterol testing|cholesterol monitor”, 7,”" ,”", “”, “”, “”, “”, “”, “”, “”, “testing”[/phpbay]
Different Types of Cholesterol
After cholesterol testing the lipoprotein profile shows levels for both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol.
Despite its bad reputation, cholesterol is necessary to the working of the human body. It helps to build and maintain the membranes of the body’s cells and may act as an antioxidant. Cholesterol helps make bile and digest fat. Cholesterol testing measures the amount of cholesterol that is present in the blood at the time. In most people about 85% of the cholesterol present was made by the liver. The rest comes from food.
Cholesterol found in the blood is a combination of the fatty cholesterol made by the body and protein molecules. ‘Good’ cholesterol has a higher ratio of protein to fat whilst ‘bad’ cholesterol has a higher ratio of fat. Cholesterol testing measures both types.
Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is ‘bad’ cholesterol. It develops plaque in the arteries and causes clogging which constricts the blood flow and results in heart disease.
High density lipoprotein (HDL) is ‘good’ cholesterol which, amongst other things, helps to unclog the arteries caused by the LDL problems. A cholesterol test shows the ratio between the two types.
While cholesterol testing shows how much of each type of cholesterol is present in the body, it does not show why cholesterol is high or low. Genetics can go far in determining how one’s body deals with cholesterol. Some people can have high cholesterol while on a low fat diet and vice-versa.
Cholesterol testing also measures the fats that travel through the bloodstream called triglycerides. It is made up of excess calories, alcohol and sugar. Since this fat comes directly from the diet, cholesterol testing can help show what can be done to decrease it and prevent coronary artery disease.
Regular exercise of just half an hour a day can raise ‘good’ cholesterol and lower ‘bad’ cholesterol. Limiting fats, especially saturated fats and trans fats will help reduce the 15% of cholesterol that comes from outside the body.
If exercise and change in diet are implemented but further cholesterol testing shows that little improvement has been made you doctor will likely prescribe medicine for you. By testing your cholesterol levels regularly and making any necessary changes in lifestyle you will improve your odds for a long and healthy life.
