Is it that time of year when you start worrying a little bit about your annual physical and what your doctor might say about your cholesterol numbers? You know that you need to watch your cholesterol levels and maybe you’ve been told in the past that you have high cholesterol…but do you really know what normal cholesterol levels are? And do they really matter?

Cholesterol Basics and Purpose in Your Body

Cholesterol is manufactured by your liver but also comes in some of the foods we eat. Cholesterol is a type of fat that our bodies need to maintain function of the nervous system, skin, muscles, intestines and organs like your heart. The ratio of protein to fat is what makes some cholesterol ‘good’ and some ‘bad.’ Cholesterol levels reflect the amount of fat being carried through your blood by different “lipoproteins.” These numbers are used as a measure to predict your risk for heart disease. Your total cholesterol number is not as important as the figures for each of the components: HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.

Does High Cholesterol Really Matter?

In a word, yes. In fact, the World Health Organization estimates that almost 20% of all strokes and over 50% of all heart attacks can be linked to high cholesterol and the American Heart and Lung Association estimates that decreasing your total cholesterol 10%,reduces your risk of heart disease by 10 – 20%!

Types of Cholesterol

Cholesterol Goals

Before you can think about your goals for lowering cholesterol, you should know your cholesterol numbers.

High cholesterol can be the result of several factors that have nothing to do with lifestyle choices.

Heredity, age gender and diabetes can have an effect on cholesterol levels.

Triglyceride Goals

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a triglyceride level of 100 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) or lower is considered “optimal.” The AHA says this optimal level would improve your heart health.

However, the AHA doesn’t recommend drug treatment to reach this level. Instead, for those trying to lower their triglycerides to this level, lifestyle changes such as diet, weight loss, physical activity and supplementation with high potency Omega-3 fish oil is encouraged.

Cholesterol Testing

Now that you know how important it is to manage your cholesterol levels make sure you get your levels tested every year. Your annual physical is a great opportunity to get your blood tests and it is typically free in most health insurance plans. Beware of the add on detailed lipid panels that include things like VLDL (very low density lipoprotein), while interesting most experts agree that knowing these additional numbers wont change the recommended treatment plan and could cost you hundreds of dollars. Other options include going to the point of care testing clinics found at drug stores like Rite Aid and CVS, these typically cost $50 - $90 and are very accurate or you can now buy home lipid panel tests that are highly accurate and cost less than $50.

30-Day Action Plan to Cholesterol Understanding

1. Read this article! Education is a key component in understanding and ultimately managing your heart health.
2. Take control of your health records. Go find all of your old test results (or ask your doctor for a print out next time), use these records as motivation and as a road map to lead you back to the things you were doing in the past that kept your cholesterol levels down such as: exercising more, eating better, etc..
3. Test. Be sure to get your cholesterol tested regularly, every year at least or more frequently if you are trying to bring your numbers down. It is now possible to purchase lab accurate, lipid panel home tests that are much cheaper and just as accurate as your doctor’s serum blood test look online to find a good source and make sure they have CLIA accreditation – the agency that licenses laboratories.

Sources:

1. American Heart Association

2. American Society of Lipidemiologists

Author David McMahon has spent 20 years in the medical device, pharmaceutical and neutracital industries. He is the author of several studies published in major clinical journals and is a soughtafter speaker who is often interviewed on national radio. He is also the founder and President of Solana Health Inc, which provides

Cardiol, a one-a-day capsule combining 9 natural ingredients to manage cholesterol and triglycerides, visit www.cardiol.net to learn more.