Cholesterol Blood Test
August 14, 2009 by
If you get a cholesterol blood test, it will have a different purpose to many other medical tests. That’s because the results are designed to help you prevent future problems. And since heart disease is just one of the problems high cholesterol can bring with it, it really is a good idea to think about getting tested.
If you didn’t already know it, high cholesterol levels are associated with health problems like hardening of the arteries, heart disease. There’s also a much higher risk of death from heart attacks.
For those reasons alone it’s worth while trying to beat cholesterol. Cholesterol testing is now considered a straightforward part of an overall preventative health care regimen and although opinions do vary, it seems that cholesterol testing is recommended every 3 to 5 years.
A cholesterol test done at the same time as other tests like HDL and LDL levels is usually called a lipid profile. Of course, if you are already on cholesterol medication you may need testing more frequently to see how you’re doing. There are three major risk categories :
Desirable: For results below 200 mg/dL that would indicate a relatively low risk of heart disease.
Borderline: Any results in the region of 200 to 240 mg/dL indicates a moderate risk of developing heart disease.
High Risk: Results above 240 mg/dL suggest that you are in a high risk category and really should do something about your cholesterol levels. Remember too, that the ratio between your HDL and LDL levels will also give you an indication of how serious the problem might be.
Testing for cholesterol isn’t difficult and it’s not invasive so if you have any worries about your cholesterol levels it’s wise to discuss them with your physician. He can arrange suitable testing and once you have the results you’ll know whether you need to make any changes to your lifestyle.
This site does not provide medical or any other health care advice, diagnosis or treatment. The site is for information purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment.
Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment.
Suffering from a heart attack was not on my list of things to accomplish in life. Neither was taking a Rx med for life, like my older siblings have been doing for a number of years. I was close to discussing options with my doc when a friend told me about Sterolyn. I read about it and was impressed with what I saw. It’s been 4 months and I have not had any of the neg side effects I’ve heard my brothers complain about, and my cholesterols going down, good news.
National Hemorrhoid day…
so we are going to eat until we have heart attacks then
can't wait… Wednesday is gonna be sweeet cwtches
If this question was true, you would already be over there and wouldn't take the time to post this question. You are so silly.
I became vegan last September for health reasons after reading 'The China Study' by T Colin Campbell. Being vegan is hard enough but I have to be a non-fat vegan so not oils, or other lovely cheesy vegan things! Makes restaurant eating almost impossible, if they can manage a vegan meal, and a lot do, it is mostly full of oil. With a high cholesterol, I have to keep my fat intake to as near zero as possible.
The nurse is right.
Hello,
I've attached a summary page about cholesterol and how to best evaluate your numbers. My hope is to calm people's fears about cholesterol. I hope it helps.
Saturated fats and cholesterol in the cell membrane give stiffness and stability. With an excess of polyunsaturated fatty acids, they replace the saturated fats and the cell walls become flabby. When this happens, cholesterol from the blood goes into the tissues to give them structural integrity. This is why blood cholesterol may go down initially when we replace saturated fats with polyunsaturates.
Cholesterol is the body’s natural healing substance that comes in to repair damage in blood vessels damaged through free radical irritation or viruses.
Cholesterol acts as a precursor to certain hormones, including testosterone, estrogen and progesterone.
Cholesterol is a precursor to vitamin D, needed for healthy bones, nervous system, immunes system, insulin production and muscle tone.
Bile salts are made from cholesterol. Bile is vital for digestion of fats.
Cholesterol is needed for proper function of serotonin receptors in the brain. Low cholesterol has been linked to aggressive and violent behavior.
As an antioxidant, cholesterol protects us against free radical damage.
Dietary cholesterol plays an important role in maintaining the health of the intestinal wall. This is why low-cholesterol vegetarian diets can lead to leaky gut and other problems.
Taken from: “Nourishing Traditions,” by Mary Enig, PhD and Sally Fallon, p. 12.
A recommended way of evaluating your cholesterol numbers is not looking at TOTAL only but at the ratio of TOTAL to HDL. This means divide TOTAL by HDL. Then see what category you are in:
Below 3.5 No risk
3.5 – 4.5Low risk
4.5 – 5.5Medium risk
Over 5.5High risk
Example: Total = 290 (seems scary) but divided by HDL of 79 = 3.7 which is ‘Low Risk’ = No worries.
Even using the conventional method and even assuming there is reason to look at cholesterol, many people have no concern even when the total is higher than what the doctors recommend.
HDLs should be higher than 75. LDLs should be lower than 100. Triglycerides should be lower than 150.
If HDLs are low and triglycerides high, this indicates too many carbohydrates and too little exercise. If LDLs are too high, you may have oxidative stress or liver imbalances. OPC Synergy (1/day) from Standard Process and Globe Artichoke 1 tsp/day (from Mediherb) can help lower LDLs.
Taken from Dr Tom Cowan’s article:
Also coconut oil will help lower LDLs and raise HDL.
Cholesterol is only an innocent bystander to the problem of heart disease. You can read this informative article by expert Ron Rosedale, MD to find out the details on why cholesterol is NOT the cause of heart disease.
The causes of heart disease are much more complex, and rather than going out and getting your cholesterol tested, there are four, much more powerful, blood tests to indicate your heart disease risk.
They are:
HDL/Total Cholesterol Ratio: HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL level by your cholesterol. That percentage should be above 24%.
Triglycerides/HDL Ratio: Divide your triglyceride level by your HDL level. That percentage should be below 2.
Fasting Insulin: Normalizing your fasting insulin level is a powerful and effective way to not only reduce your risk of heart disease, but also cancer. Your level should be below 5.
Ferritin Levels: High iron levels will cause serious free radical damage, and are a FAR more important risk factor for heart disease than cholesterol levels. A simple blood test that measures ferritin levels can determine if your iron levels are dangerously elevated.
To lower your risk of heart disease, you need not focus solely on lowering your cholesterol. What you need to do is address the foundational causes, and some of the most effective ways to do this include:
Get plenty of exercise
Eat right for your nutritional type
Address your emotional stresses
Sleep well
Keep your vitamin D levels where they should be by getting adequate exposure to sunshine.
I always say I am not making resolutions because it is setting myself up for failure but I really do want to recommit myself to exercise (I have high cholesterol so my reason is two-fold as well) and diet of course but more specifically to stay away from chocolate (namely those oversized Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookies they sell in my building's deli.
here is a peace of information from a medical point of view…. google this and you will see researches published in medical magazines, which confirm what i say…58% of men over 40 years old have impotence!!! women at 40 on the other hand are at their peak, they are young and they are healthy, and their hormones (estrogen)are protecting them from getting heart disease, or atherosclerosis or memory loss!! men however are susceptible to all of these!!this is why men die early and women die later… so it makes no sense that men look for younger women, because they will never be able to satisfy them, especialy as time goes by… ( of course now there is viagra for men, and hormone replacement therapy for women after they go through menopause in their 50's and not their 30's or 40's as most egyptian men like to claim!!)so if a fourty year old man marries a 25 year old woman, by the time he is 45, he will have health problems, high cholesterol, joint problems and arthritis, high blood pressure, and maybe even diabetes, and impotence… while his wife will be young and healthy, and unable to live her life like other people because she is caring for her old husband, who doesnt enjoy anything she enjoys!!! how sad and pathetic… but then again, the men only care about looking better in front of others, and making his wife happy is the last thing he will care about!! anything to look like a stud infront of other men… and women shouldnt have needs or desires… because they are inferior, and all they should do is please their husband or god and all of his angels will curse them night and day!!!my dear you are asking why society thinks this way??? the answer is because it is a male dominated chuvanistic society, where women are brainwashed into believing they are inferior, and dont deserve anything better, simply because they lack a Pe**s … it is double standard at its worst!!!marriage needs to between 2 people who understand each other and love each other, who have a lot in common, and who want to spend the rest of ther lives together…. but to not have this and feel pressured to spend your life with some one you dont know because society doesnt like your age!!! this to me is unacceptible, and i am sorry you have to go through this… i know i went through this at one point of time, and i have seen my share of ” 3ahat mostadeema ” i know how hard it is, with all the pressure and the nagging, and annoying friends and neighbors and even family… the only thing i have done different than anyone i have ever known, was to resist all the pressure, which was not easy, i have fought back my parents, who are the closest people to me, and i insisted on having things my way.. up to the point where my mother began to worry that i had a relationship with someone, and so i couldnt get married!!! which was not true… i simply wanted to make my own decision, and marry someone i love and i just couldnt live the rest of my life based on other people's impression of whom i should marry… i am hapily married now, for close to 6 years, and i havent regreted it once since the day i defied my society, my family and my entire world, and stood up for myself and made my own decision…so in the end here is my advice…. stand your ground, marry only when you feel comfortable with who you will spend the next 50 years with, and enjoy your carefree single days, they only last for a short while, and you will miss them when you have a job, a crying baby,laundry, dishes, a dirty house and a hungry husband, and yourself to take care of !! marriage is a lot of work, and the only way to survive it and be happy is if you care about your husband, and he cares about you… this is what gives meaning to your life and your future.. to make things short… i realy hope you find your ideal hubby, so good luck to you, life is a journey, so dont forget to enjoy the drive!!!
high cholesterol symptom site. It pretty much covers high cholesterol symptom related stuff. Come and check it out if you get time
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sounds like your sister is a Bitch who likes to push her beliefs on others.
What's going on at The Late Show With David Letterman? Last night's episode was the show that was supposed to be on tonight! And it's not just that they moved up the guests to another night or switched the …Hey, you have a awesome blog here! Without doubt I will suggest my friends take a look at your blog ! I have a causes of high cholesterol site. It all but embraces a lot that tallies with causes of high cholesterol stuff. If you have got the time, please come and check it out.]]>
You are sure right. I always subtract it and them ask the Dr.
if it is good or bad, to make sure.======