High Cholesterol-Exams and Tests
High Cholesterol-Exams and Tests
A blood test is used to check cholesterol levels.
A cholesterol test measures the level of total cholesterol plus the level of different types of cholesterol and fats in your blood. These include LDL, HDL, and triglycerides.
Checklist: Cholesterol Lowering Medications
Cholesterol-lowering medications can help many people if taken as prescribed. First, however, answer two questions. Have you tried to lower cholesterol through diet, exercise, and weight loss? Are you at high risk of cardiovascular problems? Doctors usually suggest trying diet and exercise before cholesterol-lowering medications. But if you're at high risk, your doctor may recommend starting cholesterol lowering medications right away. Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of your...
Read the Checklist: Cholesterol Lowering Medications article > >
Your cholesterol levels can help your doctor find out your risk for having a heart attack or stroke. But it's not just about your cholesterol. Your doctor uses your cholesterol levels plus other things to calculate your risk. These include:
To learn about the test, see the topic Cholesterol and Triglyceride Tests.
For more information about risk, see the topic Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Screening.
Your doctor may order other tests or talk to you about other risk factors for heart attack and stroke. This helps you and your doctor decide what treatment to lower risk is right for you. You might talk about:
Most doctors recommend that everyone older than 20 be checked for high cholesterol. How often you need to be checked depends on whether you have other health problems and your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Your child's doctor may suggest a cholesterol test based on your child's age, family history, or a physical exam. A cholesterol test can help a doctor find out early if your child has a cholesterol level that could affect his or her health.
For more information, see:
A cholesterol test measures the level of total cholesterol plus the level of different types of cholesterol and fats in your blood. These include LDL, HDL, and triglycerides.
Recommended Related to Cholesterol Management
Checklist: Cholesterol Lowering Medications
Cholesterol-lowering medications can help many people if taken as prescribed. First, however, answer two questions. Have you tried to lower cholesterol through diet, exercise, and weight loss? Are you at high risk of cardiovascular problems? Doctors usually suggest trying diet and exercise before cholesterol-lowering medications. But if you're at high risk, your doctor may recommend starting cholesterol lowering medications right away. Here are seven tips to help you get the most out of your...
Read the Checklist: Cholesterol Lowering Medications article > >
What do your cholesterol numbers mean?
Your cholesterol levels can help your doctor find out your risk for having a heart attack or stroke. But it's not just about your cholesterol. Your doctor uses your cholesterol levels plus other things to calculate your risk. These include:
- Your blood pressure.
- Whether or not you have diabetes.
- Your age, sex, and race.
- Whether or not you smoke.
To learn about the test, see the topic Cholesterol and Triglyceride Tests.
For more information about risk, see the topic Heart Attack and Stroke Risk Screening.
Other tests and risk factors
Your doctor may order other tests or talk to you about other risk factors for heart attack and stroke. This helps you and your doctor decide what treatment to lower risk is right for you. You might talk about:
- Your family history of early heart disease. Early heart disease means you have a male family member who was diagnosed before age 55 or a female family member who was diagnosed before age 65.
- An LDL test result of 160 mg/dL or higher.
- Results of tests such as C-reactive protein, coronary calcium scan, or ankle-brachial index.
- Your lifetime risk of heart attack and stroke.
When to have a cholesterol test
Most doctors recommend that everyone older than 20 be checked for high cholesterol. How often you need to be checked depends on whether you have other health problems and your risk of heart attack and stroke.
Your child's doctor may suggest a cholesterol test based on your child's age, family history, or a physical exam. A cholesterol test can help a doctor find out early if your child has a cholesterol level that could affect his or her health.
For more information, see:
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