THE IMPORTANCE OF CHOLESTEROL TESTING!

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. While your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, cholesterol is also found in foods from animal sources, such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese.

If you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can combine with other substances in the blood to form plaque. Plaque sticks to the walls of your arteries causing atherosclerosis. It can lead to coronary artery disease, where your coronary arteries become narrow or even blocked.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗗𝗟, 𝗟𝗗𝗟, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗟𝗗𝗟?

HDL, LDL, and VLDL are lipoproteins. They are a combination of fat (lipid) and protein. The lipids need to be attached to the proteins so they can move through the blood. Different types of lipoproteins have different purposes:

HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. It is sometimes called "good" cholesterol because it carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. Your liver then removes the cholesterol from your body.

LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. It is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol because a high LDL level leads to the buildup of plaque in your arteries.

VLDL stands for very low-density lipoprotein. Some people also call VLDL a "bad" cholesterol because it too contributes to the buildup of plaque in your arteries. But VLDL and LDL are different; VLDL mainly carries triglycerides and LDL mainly carries cholesterol.

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that adults have a cholesterol test every four to six years, starting at age 20. People with known high cholesterol levels or other chronic health conditions should get tested more often.

Your doctor may recommend fasting before having your cholesterol checked. If they say you should fast, they’ll likely suggest that you avoid eating for 9 to 12 hours before your test.

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀

𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 (𝙖𝙠𝙖 𝙇𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙡) 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨:

𝗧𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹-

Your total blood cholesterol is a measure of the cholesterol components LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, and VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein, which is the triglyceride-carrying component of lipids). Total cholesterol values cannot be interpreted in the absence of the cholesterol components listed below.

𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗹𝘆𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀-

Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food and the body. Triglycerides are mostly carried in VLDL and chylomicrons. VLDL comes from the liver and also has cholesterol. Chylomicrons come from dietary fat.

Along with cholesterol, triglycerides form plasma lipids. Excess triglycerides in plasma have been linked to the occurrence of coronary artery disease in some people.

Like cholesterol, increases in triglyceride levels can be detected by plasma measurements. These measurements should be made after an overnight food and alcohol fast. Your triglyceride numbers are:

•Normal if they are less than 150.
•Borderline high if they are 150-199.
•High if they are 200-499.
•Very high if they are 500 or higher.

𝗛𝗗𝗟 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹-

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is also called "good" cholesterol. HDL protects against heart disease by taking the bad cholesterol out of your blood and keeping it from building up in your arteries.

Your HDL cholesterol number is:

•Low (considered a risk factor) if it is less than 40.

•Good (able to help lower your risk of heart disease) if it is 60 or more.

𝗟𝗗𝗟 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹-

LDL (low density-lipoprotein) cholesterol is also called "bad" cholesterol. LDL can build up on the walls of your arteries and increase your chances of getting heart disease. If you do not have heart or blood vessel disease and are not at high risk for developing heart disease, the following guidelines apply.

Your LDL cholesterol number is:

•Optimal if it is less than 100.
•Near optimal/above optimal if it is 100-129.
•Borderline high if it is 130-159.
•High if it is 160-189.
•Very high if it is 190 or above.

𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗛𝗗𝗟 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹-

Non-HDL cholesterol, as its name implies, simply subtracts your high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol number from your total cholesterol number. So it contains all the "bad" types of cholesterol.

An optimal level of non-HDL cholesterol is less than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). Higher numbers mean a higher risk of heart disease.

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹/𝗛𝗗𝗟 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼-

To calculate your cholesterol ratio, divide your total cholesterol number by your HDL cholesterol number. So if your total cholesterol is 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L) and your HDL is 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L), your ratio would be 4-to-1. Higher ratios mean a higher risk of heart disease. Ideally, your ratio would be between 1.0-3.5.

Men Cholesterol/HDL Ratio-

5.0 = average risk
3.4 = half the average risk
9.6 = twice the average risk

Women Cholesterol/HDL Ratio-

4.4 = average risk
3.3 = half the average risk
7.0 = twice the average risk

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀?

A variety of factors can affect your cholesterol levels. They include:

𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘁: Saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol in the food you eat increase cholesterol levels. Try to reduce the amount of saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol in your diet. This will help lower your blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat and trans fat have the most impact on blood cholesterol.

𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: In addition to being a risk factor for heart disease, being overweight can also increase your triglycerides. Losing weight may help lower your triglyceride levels and raise your HDL.

𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲: Regular exercise can lower total cholesterol levels. Exercise has the most effect on lowering triglycerides and raising HDL. You should try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most days.

𝗔𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿: As we get older, cholesterol levels rise. Before menopause, women tend to have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After menopause, however, women's LDL levels tend to rise and HDL can drop.

𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆: Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.