The body needs cholesterol for various functions, such as aid in the production of hormones, bile acids, or fat for energy. Excessive cholesterol, however, can lead to serious health problems, particularly when these clog up the arteries of the heart, resulting in heart disease. Thus, people who are at risk are usually advised by medical experts to monitor their cholesterol intake regularly. This way, lethal consequences, such as a heart attack, are prevented. It can be beneficial for an individual to do cholesterol tests if they have:
- A family history of heart problems
- A family history of high blood pressure
- Health problems in relation to weight
Further, medical experts advise that anyone above twenty years (20) old should make it a habit to have their cholesterol levels checked every five years, as part of their health maintenance.
Cholesterol Test with a Doctor
A cholesterol test at the doctor’s office is a common procedure. After your consult, you will be asked to schedule a blood extraction with a phlebotomist. Twelve hours before the extraction is done, you will be asked to undergo fasting, so that the results are most accurate. The actual drawing of the blood usually takes a few minutes, and the specimen will then be sent to the laboratory where it will be analyzed. Its results will be submitted to your doctor. Ideally, the LDL should be under 100mg/dL and the HDL should not exceed 60mg/dL. If the numbers are not good, your doctor should discuss with you on how to improve this, and make sure that the numbers remain at ideal levels.
Home Cholesterol Monitors
While a cholesterol test with the doctor is helpful when it comes to monitoring blood levels, regularly doing these tests can become so expensive and time consuming. For your convenience, there are home kits available for purchase at drug stores, online stores, health centers, or perhaps even your doctor’s office, and it should be a worthy a wise investment. Home kits offer the convenience and advantage, as you can do the tests as often as you like, making monitoring so much more efficient. The results provided by these kits are simple and accurate, and could be really useful if your doctor has advised you to manage your cholesterol levels seriously.
Diet and Lifestyle Changes
Keeping track of your cholesterol levels with a home kit is but one step to managing your cholesterol intake, though. If the doctor has determined that you are at risk or heart disease development or heart attack, you will have to change your diet and lifestyle to improve your physical health.
- Cut out saturated fat and trans fat from your diet.
- Limit eating foods high in cholesterol (such eggs, beef and dairy).
- Switch to unsaturated fat like olive oil, avocados, or salmon.
- Increase fiber in your diet.
- Increase your physical activities. Simply put, move around a lot.
- Get into a fitness regimen. It doesn’t have to be done specifically at a gym, as you can walk, bike, run, swim, dance and do other activities where you will enjoy these.
- Put focus in losing body fat or achieving an ideal weight.
After doing these changes, you will need to schedule another round of laboratory blood tests to validate any improvements with your cholesterol levels. Then, once again, discuss this with your doctor to make sure that you’re in the clear.
