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Cholesterol and Triglycerides Tests - What To Think About
About this test
- Test Overview
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Health Tools
- Why It Is Done
- How To Prepare
- How It Is Done
- How It Feels
- Risks
- Results
- What Affects the Test
- What To Think About
- References
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- Having a high cholesterol level increases your chances of having a heart attack. The higher your cholesterol, the greater your chances. An elevated total cholesterol level in younger people is particularly significant, since the narrowing of the coronary arteries usually takes many years to develop.
- Lifestyle changes (such as diet changes, weight loss, and
exercise) may help lower blood cholesterol levels and increase HDL ("good")
cholesterol. Some people have better responses to diet and lifestyle changes
than do others. Lifestyle changes might include:
- Reducing saturated (animal) fats and cholesterol in the diet while increasing fiber and complex carbohydrate.
- Losing weight. An improvement may occur if you lose as little as 5 lb (2.5 kg) to 10 lb (4.5 kg).
- Moderate consumption of alcohol can also increase HDL
cholesterol.
- Moderate alcohol consumption means no more than 2 drinks per day for men or 1 drink per day for women; 1 drink is 12 fl oz (355 mL) of beer, 5 fl oz (148 mL) of wine, or 1.5 fl oz (44.4 mL) of liquor.
- The benefits of alcohol consumption must be balanced against the increased risk of alcoholism, high blood pressure, heart problems such as atrial fibrillation and heart failure, and cirrhosis.
- The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has developed a
risk assessment calculator to estimate your risk of having a heart attack or
dying from
coronary artery disease (CAD) over 10 years. This tool
is designed to estimate risk in adults age 20 and older who do not have heart
disease or diabetes. Use the
Interactive Tool: Are You at Risk for a Heart Attack?
to calculate your risk of coronary artery disease. - Talk to your health professional about which cholesterol screening is best for you. Medical experts disagree about routine screening for lipid disorders.
- Cholesterol screening is often available in supermarkets, pharmacies, shopping malls, and other public places. Home cholesterol testing kits also are available. The results of tests done outside a doctor's office or lab may not be accurate. If you have cholesterol screening done outside your doctor's office, talk with your doctor about the accuracy of the results.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 13, 2009 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Carl Orringer, MD - Cardiology, Clinical Lipidology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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