Blood Tests
The first logical step in taking stock of your cholesterol situation is to find out if you have high and unhealthy cholesterol level. This is most easily done by taking a blood test. Most blood screenings that is provided by your health services provider would contain a cholesterol test. Once you know your cholesterol level, you can then proceed to tailor a plan to control your health.
Although cholesterol tests do not normally require any preparation, it is still recommended that you fast for about 10 hours prior to your cholesterol test. This is to ensure that the results are not affected by the food that you consume prior to the test. A blood sample is taken in a simple procedure and is sent to a lab for analysis.
Cholesterol tests normally show you at least 3 types of values - Total Cholesterol, HDL and LDL. Your aim is to reduce total cholesterol and LDL levels; and to increase HDL levels. Compare your values with the benchmark values.
If your values are worse off as compared to the benchmark values, you may be at risk of cholesterol-related diseases - heart attack and stroke. You should consult a health care provider for advice. You should also keep a record of the results of your cholesterol test and continue to go for tests at intervals advised by your health care provider. Use a simple table like the one provided below. Keeping the records will allow you to see your results trend. Your aim is to see achieve a trend that is favorable.
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Track Your Cholesterol Levels |
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Test Date |
Total Cholesterol |
LDL Level |
HDL Level |
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2. |
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5. |
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Personal Cholesterol Level Record Table