Testing for cholesterol involves taking a cholesterol blood test to measure your levels of total cholesterol, otherwise known as a lipid panel, it will help identify the risk of heart disease and other health conditions. We offer our own cholesterol blood test and below you can find a wide range of different blood tests that will also test cholesterol levels.
Our Cholesterol Blood Test
It is recommended for adults every 4-6 years, or more frequently if you have certain risk factors, such as a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. However, talk to a healthcare professional if you are considering having a blood test, even if you just want peace of mind.
What does a Cholesterol Blood Test measure?
The cholesterol blood test measures the Total Cholesterol, which is the complete amount of cholesterol present in your blood, including both the good and bad cholesterol, this is determined by taking your total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol, and giving a ratio (TC:HDL).
- High Density Lipoproteins – HDL Cholesterol, considered the ‘good’ cholesterol
- Low Density Lipoproteins – LDL Cholesterol, the ‘bad’ cholesterol
- Total Cholesterol to HDL Cholesterol Ratio (TC:HDL)
A cholesterol blood test provides information regarding your cardiovascular health, and will help your doctor in determining the risk of heart-related conditions caused by high cholesterol.
Other blood tests that include Cholesterol biomarkers:
The Role of Cholesterol in your Body:
In the body, cholesterol plays a crucial role, this is because it is used to produce hormones, vitamin D, and is used in the production of bile, that aids your body in breaking down foods, and absorbing nutrients into the intestines. Cholesterol is important for building and maintain healthy cells, your liver produces the cholesterol that you need, although, it can be found in a small amount of foods.
Risks of High Cholesterol Levels:
An abundance of LDL cholesterol can create build up of fat in the arteries leading to a higher risk of heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. There are no symptoms that can indicate high cholesterol, therefore, blood tests are the only way to discover if you have higher levels.
The total level of cholesterol is an important indicator of your overall health, by understanding the different types of cholesterol, and making dietary or lifestyle changes, if needed, you are able to control the levels of cholesterol in your blood, and reduce the risk of serious conditions. If you have any concerns about your cholesterol levels, talk to your healthcare provider regarding the best ways to manage them, which also may need you to take a cholesterol blood test.
How to lower Cholesterol levels
Maintaining a healthy level of cholesterol requires a balanced diet, or dietary changes if you are attempting to reduce the levels of cholesterol in your body. Eating foods that have high fiber content and are low in saturated fats can help lower your cholesterol levels, similarly, fruits, vegetable, whole grains, fatty fish, nuts, and plant-based oils like olive oil are good sources of these nutrients.
Furthermore, engaging in more physical activity and exercise can contribute in lowering cholesterol levels, regular physical activity a day can raise HDL levels and improve overall heart health, around 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week should be sufficient.
Medication may be necessary to lower cholesterol levels, in this case, your healthcare provider can determine if the medication is right for you, and which type would be most effective. Throughout treatment of high cholesterol, it is likely that your doctor will use the cholesterol blood test as a method of tracking levels over a long period of time, as this will aid in understanding the effectiveness of treatment, and if anything needs to be changed.
