Measuring the cholesterol level is a very important component in maintaining a hale and hearty lifestyle.
According to the statistics of the American Heart Association, more than fifty percent of total American population have high bad cholesterol level.
This means that every man has a possibility of high risk to any form of heart failure.
So it is advisable to measure the level of cholesterol as early as possible to avoid and lessen the risk of having and experiencing heart disease.
The simplest and most recommended test to check the level of cholesterol in the body is the lipid profile.
To achieve this a blood test has to be conducted and this gives the doctor information in determining the risk of heart disease development.
Cholesterol level measurement can be done at home.
Some of the ways to determine cholesterol level are low density lipoproteins (LDL) or high density lipoproteins (HDL).
LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to the peripheral tissues and higher levels of LDL are considered bad cholesterol and are more risky to heart diseases.
HDL is the good cholesterol and brings cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver.
However, how does individual measurement done? There are three steps in conducting cholesterol testing alone.
The first step is to take blood samples after nine or twelve hours of fasting.
Then start to state the level of cholesterol in milligrams of cholesterol in the blood per decilitre of blood (mg/dL).
After that document the total cholesterol and divide the total cholesterol with the HDL.
The result must be below 5.
0.
Finally divide the total cholesterol with the LDL and result must be below 3.
5.
These ratios are used to predict the probability of the risk of heart disease.
However it is important and advisable to consult a practiced doctor when checking the cholesterol level.
This can avoid the possibility of misinterpretation of results.
Before seeing a doctor, check some possible risk factors like genetics, smoking, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
The presence of two or more of these risk factors gives an indication on the need for cholesterol testing.
You must set an appointment with the doctor and give the doctor your medical history and a list of risk factors.
It is more recommended to know where the cholesterol level testing will take place and the scheduled appointment should be early in the morning.
The patient should not eat or drink anything nine to twelve hours prior to the appointment to avoid interference with the results.
Discuss the results with the doctor.
He will explain what the results are and if the patient needs treatment.