How to Test Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatlike substance found in our bloodstream and in all of our body's cells. Although some cholesterol is a good thing--it plays a crucial role in cell membrane formation and is the building block of many steroid hormones--too much of it can be deadly. Decrease your risk of developing coronary heart disease by having a screening test done to measure your cholesterol at least once every 5 years.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Home test kit
• Physician
• Blood test
• Cholesterol quiz

Test Your Cholesterol

1. Take a quiz to see how much you know about cholesterol. A brief quiz, such as the one found at the American Heart Association Web site, will test your knowledge and give you information that could save your life (see Resources below).
2. Evaluate your risk factors. Many different factors affect cholesterol levels. There are many we can do something about, and there are some, like age, that we are stuck with. Knowing how many risk factors you have and what you can do about them is the first step in controlling your risk of heart disease.
3. Visit your doctor. You will need a blood test to determine if your cholesterol is high. Cholesterol and triglyceride tests are blood tests that measure the total amount of fatty substances in the blood and can tell you if your cholesterol is HDL (good) or LDL (bad).
4. Talk to your pharmacist. Free cholesterol screenings are often done at local pharmacies. Pharmacists also provide important consultation services. A recent study at the University of Alberta, Canada, found that pharmacists who provided consultation services for a 6-month period to patients at high risk for cardiovascular diseases were able to reduce their patients' cholesterol levels by an average of 13 percent.
5. Screen at home. There are many FDA-approved cholesterol-testing kits available for home use. Some measure your total cholesterol level in as little as 10 minutes, while others provide a full lipid profile with an analysis from a certified clinical laboratory.

Tips & Warnings

• Experts recommend that you screen your cholesterol more often if it is elevated and you have already been prescribed a diet and/or drugs. Testing will determine if these measures are succeeding in lowering your cholesterol and in turn decreasing your risk of developing heart disease.
• Test your cholesterol when you are healthy. Blood cholesterol is low during an illness, after a heart attack and during stress caused by surgery or an accident. Wait at least 6 weeks after any illness to have your cholesterol tested.
• Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and in other Western countries. An elevated blood cholesterol level is one of the major risk factors for coronary heart disease.
• Consult your doctor before purchasing a home test kit.