How Do You Know if Your Cholesterol Reading Was Accurate

Cholesterol in the blood and claret vessel.

What is cholesterol?

You probably have heard about cholesterol, only y'all might non be sure exactly what it is. Cholesterol is a waxy blazon of fatty, or lipid, which moves throughout your body in your claret. Lipids are substances that do not dissolve in water, so they do not come apart in claret. Your torso makes cholesterol, just you tin can also get it from foods. Cholesterol is only found in foods that come from animals.

Why is cholesterol important to our bodies?

Every jail cell in the trunk needs cholesterol, which helps the prison cell membranes grade the layers. These layers protect the contents of the jail cell past acting as the gatekeeper to what things tin enter or leave the jail cell. It is made by the liver and is besides used by the liver to make bile, which helps you assimilate foods. Cholesterol is also needed to brand certain hormones and to produce vitamin D. Your liver makes enough cholesterol to meet your torso'due south needs for these important functions.

What are the types of cholesterol?

Cholesterol moves throughout the body carried past lipoproteins in the blood. These lipoproteins include:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is one of the 2 main lipoproteins. LDL is often chosen "the bad cholesterol."
• Loftier-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the other principal lipoprotein. HDL is often chosen "the practiced cholesterol."
• Very-depression-density lipoproteins (VLDL) are particles in the blood that carry triglycerides.

If cholesterol is necessary, why do we have to worry nearly how much we have?

Having plenty cholesterol to encounter your needs is of import. Having too much cholesterol can cause bug. If your cholesterol levels are loftier, the condition is chosen hypercholesterolemia. If your cholesterol levels are depression, the status is called hypocholesterolemia. It is not common to accept cholesterol levels that are besides depression, but it tin can happen.

What is low-density lipoprotein (LDL)?

You might think it is weird that the low-density lipoprotein is called the bad cholesterol when we ever hear about how nosotros should lower our cholesterol. However, LDL is "bad" because of what it does.

LDL tin build up on the walls of your arteries and make them narrower. The fatty deposits form plaque that lines your arteries and may cause blockages. This build-up is chosen atherosclerosis.

Arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich claret away from your heart to all other organs in the body.

The fats linked to LDL cholesterol levels and those that you lot should minimize in your diet are chosen saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are solid or wax-similar when they are at room temperature. You generally find saturated fats in products that come from animals, such as meat, milk, cheese and butter.

Trans fats outcome when liquid fats are put through the hydrogenation process to become solid. Trans fats are found in fast foods and fried foods and are used to extend the shelf-life of processed foods like cookies, crackers and baked goods.

What is high-density lipoprotein (HDL)?

HDL is chosen the "good cholesterol." It'southward good considering it carries away other kinds of cholesterol, (including LDL), abroad from the arteries. It might help to remember of HDL every bit a delivery truck and LDL equally a dump truck. HDL drops off other types of cholesterol at the liver to be removed from the body. It's believed that college levels of HDL reduce the risk for center illness.

What kind of test measures cholesterol?

Everyone over the age of 20 should get their cholesterol levels measured at to the lowest degree one time every five years. Your healthcare provider will society a blood examination that will point how much cholesterol is carried in your bloodstream. This exam will give your cholesterol levels. Your provider might also social club what is called a lipid panel or a lipid profile. The panel gives yous the following numbers:

• Total cholesterol.
• LDL levels.
• HDL levels.
• VLDL levels and triglycerides.
• Non-HDL cholesterol.
• Ratio between cholesterol and HDL.

There are advanced tests that break downwards the size and shapes of LDL cholesterol levels, and also give the LDL particle number, only those are not normally ordered. Some test makers say that the more advanced tests are better at indicating who is at adventure for centre affliction, but most providers yet feel that the usual tests are acceptable.

How is the full cholesterol, or blood cholesterol, test done?

A blood exam is a routine test. A phlebotomist is a person whose job is to draw blood. Claret is usually fatigued from the vein in your arm. Y'all will sit down downwards and the phlebotomist will wrap a condom ring effectually your upper arm so that the vein in your elbow sticks out. Then they will employ a needle to puncture the vein and remove blood. The blood is sent to the lab to exist examined.

Y'all've probably been at health fairs where testing is offered. In that example, the person performing the test takes a drop of blood from your finger. The finger-stick test uses a small-scale bract to poke a pigsty in the tip of your finger to get the blood.

How practice you lot prepare for a cholesterol test?

In most cases, you'll need to fast for 9 to 12 hours before the examination. Make sure you lot tell the person cartoon your blood how long information technology has been since yous ate or drank anything that wasn't water.

In that location are some cases when a cholesterol test is done without fasting. This is true for tests washed at health screenings and may be truthful for people younger than 20 or for people who are unable to fast.

Some medical societies believe that fasting is not necessary to get a true film of lipid levels in the blood, while other associations stand by the belief that fasting gives a better idea of a person'south center illness risk. Y'all should be clear on whether or not you lot need to fast, and for how long, before you get for the blood test.

How long does it take to get results from a cholesterol test?

Your results will often be available within a day or 2. In the case of screenings and finger stick tests, you'll get results immediately. In either case, you'll want to speak with your healthcare provider to discuss the results. The results are often given as milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Are domicile cholesterol testing kits accurate?

The answer is yeah if the tests are labeled "CDC-certified." This means that the contents have been approved by the Cholesterol Reference Method Laboratory Network, a group that works with exam makers, laboratories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make sure tests are accurate.

For abode tests, yous will still need to fast for 12 hours and to obtain claret for testing. Some kits come with packages for mailing to a lab for results. Other kits accept a monitor so you tin can go the results at dwelling. The cost of such home kits varies.

What are normal levels of cholesterol?

Normal levels of cholesterol are different depending on your historic period and sex. These guidelines bear witness desirable full, non-HDL, LDL and HDL levels by age and sex.

Table 1: Target cholesterol levels past historic period and sex activity

Historic period and sexual activity	Total cholesterol	Non-HDL cholesterol	LDL cholesterol	HDL cholesterol
People anile 19 years and younger	Less than 170 mg/dL	Less than 120 mg/dL	Less than 110 mg/dL	More than 45 mg/dL
Men aged 20 years and older	125 mg/dL to 200 mg/dL	Less than 130 mg/dL	Less than 100 mg/dL	twoscore mg/dL or higher
Women anile 20 years and older	125 mg/dL to 200 mg/dL	Less than 130 mg/dL	Less than 100 mg/dL	50 mg/dL or higher

The table in a higher place spells out the numbers for normal cholesterol levels. The tabular array below shows cholesterol levels that are college than normal. High cholesterol numbers vary past historic period group and sexual practice and may be different for those who have center disease. These guidelines represent loftier cholesterol numbers for those who do non have center illness.

Tabular array two: High total, non-HDL and LDL cholesterol levels by age and sex

Age and sex	Total cholesterol	Non-HDL cholesterol	LDL cholesterol
People anile xix years and younger (children and teens)	Borderline: 170-199 mg/dL Loftier: Greater than or equal to 200 mg/dL	Borderline: 120-144 mg/dL High: Greater than or equal to 145 mg/dL	Borderline: 110-129 mg/dL High: Greater than or equal to 130 mg/dL
Men aged 20 years and older	Borderline: 200-239 mg/dL Loftier: Greater than or equal to 239 mg/dL ​	High: Greater than 130 mg/dL	About optimal or in a higher place optimal: 100-129 mg/dL Deadline high: 130-159 mg/dL High: 160-189 mg/dL Very high: Greater than 189 mg/dL
Women aged 20 years and older	Borderline: 200-239 mg/dL High: Greater than or equal to 239 mg/dL	High: Greater than 130 mg/dL	Nearly optimal or higher up optimal: 100-129 mg/dL Borderline high: 130-159 mg/dL High: 160-189 mg/dL Very high: Greater than 189 mg/dL

LDL cholesterol levels

If you practise not have middle disease or blood vessel disease, and yous are non at loftier risk for developing heart disease, the optimal (or best) number is less than 100 mg/dL.

If you exercise take heart or blood vessel affliction or a number of take a chance factors, your healthcare provider may desire your LDL level to exist lower than 70 mg/dL. If you have diabetes, your healthcare provider will want your LDL level to be below 100 mg/dL or fifty-fifty beneath 70 mg/dL.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are of import because most of the fat in your body exists every bit triglycerides. These levels are often higher in people who accept diabetes or who are obese. For triglycerides, the details that y'all want to know near the 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 levels

The number that you want to exist college is the number for HDL (retrieve, it's the proficient cholesterol).

• HDL under 40 is considered poor and a risk gene for middle disease in men and women.
• HDL goal for men is twoscore or college and reaching this is considered to be practiced.
• HDL goal for women is 50 or higher and reaching this is considered to be practiced.
• HDL of 60 or more is considered to be optimum and protection confronting middle disease.

Can "bad" cholesterol levels be too low? Can "adept" cholesterol levels be too high?

It isn't often that people have bad cholesterol that is too depression or proficient cholesterol that is too high. There are studies beingness done that advise that extremes of any kind are not salubrious for anybody.

Fifty-fifty though at that place is no clear-cut number well-nigh what LDL level is too low, levels under twoscore mg/dL may be associated with certain health bug, including depression/anxiety, and hemorrhagic stroke.

However, there is information from clinical trials to support that there is no testify of impairment when LDLs remain <40mg/dl on statin therapy.

In some cases, genetic conditions tin cause you lot to have very low cholesterol levels. In other cases, nutritional problems, some cancers, hypothyroidism and certain infections can also cause low cholesterol levels. In whatever of these types of situations, the underlying issues need to exist addressed.

In terms of having also much of a skilful affair, researchers are studying the effects of too much HDL, the good cholesterol. No conclusions take been reached, but there have been studies into the possible relationship between high HDL and cancer, and a greater risk of heart attack among the high risk. Excessively high HDL may be dysfunctional HDL and not protective.

What factors bear upon cholesterol levels?

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

• Diet: Saturated fat, trans fatty and cholesterol in the food you eat increase cholesterol levels. Endeavor to reduce the amount of saturated fat, trans fatty and cholesterol in your diet. This will assistance lower your blood cholesterol level. Saturated and trans fat have the nearly impact on blood cholesterol.
• Weight: In addition to being a risk factor for centre disease, being overweight tin also increment your triglycerides. Losing weight may assist lower your triglyceride levels and enhance your HDL.
• Do: Regular practise tin lower total cholesterol levels. Practise has the most event on lowering triglycerides and raising HDL. You should endeavour to exist physically active for 30 minutes on about days of the calendar week.
• Historic period and sex: As we go older, cholesterol levels rising. Before menopause, women tend to have lower full cholesterol levels than men of the aforementioned age. After menopause, nonetheless, women'southward LDL levels tend to rise and HDL tin drop.
• Heredity: Your genes partly make up one's mind how much cholesterol your trunk makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.

What should y'all know about cholesterol and center disease?

Preventing and treating center illness is the main reason that your healthcare provider looks at cholesterol levels. Heart affliction is a general term that might utilise to many conditions, but in this instance, nosotros are talking about coronary artery disease (CAD).

How is high cholesterol treated?

At that place are several means to lower high blood cholesterol (full cholesterol), including lifestyle changes or medication, or both. Your healthcare provider will work with you lot to determine which therapy (or combination of therapies) is best for you.

Lifestyle modifications

Healthcare providers similar to start with the least invasive treatments when possible, such every bit lifestyle changes. You'll be advised to:

• Avert tobacco. If you do smoke, quit. Smoking is bad for you in many ways, and reducing your level of practiced cholesterol is one of them.
• Change the fashion you eat. Limit the number of trans fats and saturated fat. Eat heart-healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and whole grains. Limit red meat, sugary products and dairy products made with whole milk.
• Get more than exercise. Try to get most 150 minutes of physical action every week, or nigh 30 minutes per day for virtually days of the week.
• Go along a good for you weight. If you lot demand to lose weight, talk to your healthcare provider about safe ways to do this. You'll meet results even earlier you accomplish your platonic weight. Losing even 10% of your body weight makes a difference in your cholesterol levels.
• Reduce the result of negative emotions. Learn healthy ways to bargain with acrimony, stress or other negative emotions.
• Control blood sugar and claret pressure level. Make sure yous follow your healthcare provider's instructions for claret sugar levels, especially if you accept diabetes, and for keeping blood pressure in the healthy range.

Medications

There are several different types of medications that are designed to treat high cholesterol levels.

Statin medications are i of the most well-known categories of cholesterol drugs. Statins work by reducing the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. Statins lower blood cholesterol and may help reduce the gamble of middle attacks and strokes, which is i reason why they are so widely prescribed. Statins that are available in the U.Due south. include:

• Atorvastatin (Lipitor®).
• Fluvastatin (Lescol®, Lescol 40®).
• Lovastatin (Mevacor®, Altoprev®).
• Pravastatin (Pravachol®).
• Rosuvastatin(Crestor®).
• Simvastatin (Zocor®).
• Pitavastatin (Livalo®, Zypitamag®).

Statins are too available in combination medications, such as Advicor® (lovastatin and niacin), Caduet® (atorvastatin and amlodipine) and Vytorin® (simvastatin and ezetimibe).

Statins are not appropriate for every person with high cholesterol, especially for those with liver problems. Although side furnishings are not very common, they tin include muscle hurting, college claret glucose levels and retention problems.

Bile acid sequestrants or bile acrid-bounden drugs are some other grade of medications that treat loftier cholesterol levels. The drugs, also called resins, cling to the bile acrid, which and so cannot be used for digestion. In response, the liver makes more bile by using up more than cholesterol. These drugs include:

• Cholestyramine (Questran®, Questran® Lite).
• Colestipol (Colestid®).
• ColesevelamHcl (WelChol®).

Resins are not appropriate for everyone. These drugs also have side effects such as constipation and stomach pain.

Fibrates are also called fibric acid derivatives. They are more effective at cutting triglyceride levels than reducing LDL cholesterol. They may too help to boost levels of HDL cholesterol. These products include:

• Fenofibrate (Antara®, Tricor®, Fenoglide®, Fibricor®, Lipidil®, Lipofen®, Trilipix® and Triglide®)
• Gemfibrozil (Lopid®)

Other classes of drugs that healthcare providers might suggest to decrease LDL cholesterol include:

• PCSK9 inhibitors, including alirocumab and evolocumab.
• Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors, such as ezetimibe (Zetia®).
• Adenosine triphosphate-citrate lyase (ACL) inhibitors, such equally bempedoic acid (Nexletol®).
• Omega 3 fat acids and fatty acrid esters.
• Nicotinic acrid, also known as niacin.

You might be given a prescription for these medicines if you are taking a statin and have not been able to reduce LDL to levels that your provider feels are low enough.

For people who are not helped enough by lifestyle changes and medication, oft those with a genetic event, there is a process called lipoprotein apheresis. This ways using equipment to remove lipoproteins from blood and plasma and then return the blood and plasma to the body. This process might exist combined with some of the new drug treatments.

What complications are possible if you don't treat high cholesterol levels in your blood?

The main reason to treat loftier cholesterol is to prevent or treat coronary heart affliction (CHD), also called coronary artery disease or CAD. CHD happens when middle is not able to become plenty oxygen-rich blood to function well and kills more people in the U.S. than any other crusade of expiry. CHD usually refers to the large arteries, but in that location is also a condition called coronary microvascular disease that affects the small vessels and causes harm.

Tin can you get rid of cholesterol deposits?

Researchers are working on ways to eliminate plaque (cholesterol deposits) from coronary arteries. I method that has been proposed involves using combinations of medicines (statins and PCSK9 inhibitors) in salubrious people anile 25 to 55 years. It is suggested that getting the levels of cholesterol downwards very low will allow arteries to clear upward and heal upwardly.

Several researchers believe that the manner to opposite heart disease and prevent information technology in the offset identify is establish in a whole-food, establish-based diet. Studies have been done that have shown that limiting nutrition to whole foods that are constitute-based have been successful in reducing blood cholesterol and even, in some cases, lessening plaque buildup.

How can you lot preclude high cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease (CHD)?

Prevention methods are very much the aforementioned as treatment methods. Offset, don't fume. If yous do smoke, make plans to quit now. Find means to add physical action to each of your days. Have steps to continue your weight in a healthy range. Eat well. Consider post-obit the Mediterranean diet. Information technology is the only diet proven to reduce the risk of heart illness. Take care of whatsoever other medical weather you might accept by following your healthcare provider's communication and instructions. Acquire to really relax and at-home down.

When should yous contact your healthcare provider near your cholesterol levels?

In truth, your healthcare provider will probably talk to you virtually your numbers first. As e'er, contact your provider if you have any new or worsening pain or other uncomfortable feelings. Brand sure you know what medications you take and what they are expected to practise. Phone call the provider if you have a reaction to the medicine.

Before y'all go to the office, and after you have had a cholesterol test, it helps to have a listing of questions prepared about your exam results and any proposed treatment.

A annotation from Cleveland Clinic

When because cholesterol numbers, it'southward important to recollect that you really have the ability to make those numbers get in your favor. What you cull to consume, how much you are able to move and how you deal with life's ups and downs are things that yous tin influence.

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Source: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean

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