Once you know all about cholesterol and how it affects your risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke, the next step is to find out if your cholesterol levels are on target. Make an appointment to discuss your cholesterol profile, your other cardiovascular risk factors and your goals for living a heart-healthy life.
Get tested.
If you don't know whether or not you have high cholesterol, ask your doctor for a cholesterol test. A simple blood test can determine if your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels are too high or your good cholesterol (HDL) is too low. If these numbers are cause for concern, your doctor will order a more specific test, called a lipoprotein profile, to specifically measure bad cholesterol and triglycerides (trī-glis-er-īdes).
Know what your cholesterol numbers mean.
Be sure to discuss your cholesterol test with your doctor to get a clear understanding of what your numbers mean. You should ask your doctor whether or not your cholesterol numbers put you at risk for cardiovascular disease and how your cholesterol numbers relate to other possible risk factors, such as diabetes or being overweight.
Now that you understand what healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels are, this tool, Doctor Discussion Guide, can help you ask your doctor questions to determine the cholesterol management plan for you.