A lipid profile is used in the management of cholesterol by giving your doctor some important information about your cholesterol and the amount of fat a.k.a.lipids in your blood. This is a test that should be conducted at least once every five years for healthy adults over 20, as recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and National Institutes of Health.
When a lipid profile is taken it is measuring several key indicators for heart health. Total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides are measured through a blood sample taken. This blood sample should be taken after about 12 hours of fasting to give the most accurate results. Information obtained from this test can tell your doctor if you are at higher risk for heart disease if any of these measurements are above or below the recommended levels. (more…)
Do you need to reduce cholesterol in your blood? An annual visit to the doctor’s office often requires a series of blood tests. One of these is looking for three specific numbers regarding your cholesterol levels. This blood test for cholesterol looks for a measurement of Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and total cholesterol. Your doctor then can help you evaluate what these numbers mean.
The purpose of testing is to see that the bad cholesterol (LDL) is below 100 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). It is also looking to see that the good cholesterol (HDL) is above 40 mg/dL. The goal in reducing cholesterol is that overall cholesterol is below 200 mg/dL. This test completed at the doctor’s office is usually done annually, so how can you be sure that all your efforts to reduce cholesterol are really working on a more frequent basis? The answer is home testing. (more…)
A blood test to see if you need to lower cholesterol is often a part of a normal, routine physical. This and other tests can help make you aware of potential health problems and start you on the path of treating them, before they become serious health issues.
A test that will determine if you have high cholesterol is often given to those who have outward symptoms. It is extremely rare for someone to have such high cholesterol that it shows in their skin, but some people do. The condition is called xanthomatosis where yellow fatty deposits show up in the skin. This rare genetic disease can create extremely high cholesterol levels.
More commonly a person may be tested for high cholesterol if they have other risk factors for coronary artery disease. These may include a family history, being obese, having a diet that is high in cholesterol or fat, or if they are heavy smokers or drinkers. Often changing the lifestyle or diet can lower cholesterol. Because high cholesterol can add to the risk factors for heart disease by making the arteries become hardened or clogged, screening for cholesterol is one more way to monitor those risk factors. (more…)
A cholesterol test in order to determine whether or not you need to lower cholesterol is highly dependent on what you ate, or even what you did the night before the test. In order to make your cholesterol test the most accurate assessment possible to see if you need to lower cholesterol, then you should follow a few careful steps. Your health care provider will tell you exactly what type of test they will be doing, because there are different restrictions for each.
To determine if you need to lower cholesterol, a simple blood sample is taken. A full cholesterol test which measures the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides, and total cholesterol is most accurate if you fast from all food for at least 8 to 12 hours before the test. You should still drink plenty of water, and usually your doctor will instruct you to still take any medications with water the morning of the test. (more…)
Can testing skin cholesterol really tell you if you are a candidate for heart disease? The manufacturers of the non-invasive skin test and medical community do believe that the amount of skin cholesterol one has is a strong indicator that may you need to lower cholesterol in the blood.
International Medical Innovations, Inc. developed the skin test for cholesterol because studies indicated that the level of cholesterol in the skin can give very early warning signs of coronary disease and atherosclerosis. Levels of skin cholesterol appeared to directly correlate with LDL, HDL, and triglyceride levels in the 222 adults studied at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.
The skin test that may tell you if you need to lower cholesterol is complete in three minutes. Two drops of a liquid are placed in the palm. The substance interacts with the cholesterol in the skin and it changes color. The test is then measured numerically using a spectrophotometer. Since every cell of the body contains cholesterol, the skin is the most non-evasive way to conduct preliminary testing to determine risk. (more…)
