It’s time to get your cholesterol numbers checked. But which test should you be looking to get? It is really not so simple. Here is a guideline to the choices and their pros and cons:
Understanding your Cholesterol Numbers
Total cholesterol
- This is the test that is the least expensive and where fasting isn’t necessary;
- It is where the doctors will have first glimpse or rather a peek into the health of your cholesterol levels;
- If your cholesterol levels are unusually high or low, your doctor may want to investigate further.
- Total cholesterol includes the HDL (good cholesterol) and the LDL and VLDL (bad cholesterol).
Total cholesterol and HDL
- HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is coined the ‘good’ cholesterol as it cleans up the cholesterol from your blood vessel walls and transports it to the liver for discarding;
- The higher the HDL reading, the better;
- The ration of the total cholesterol to the HDL is important. The formula for working out the ratio of the total cholesterol to HDL is the total cholesterol divided by the HDL. The lower the ratio, the better.
- If you have a high level of total cholesterol, it may be less disturbing if your total cholesterol:HDL ratio is low. A reading of 200 or below puts you in the desirable category; 200–239 is borderline high; and 240 or more is high.
LDL cholesterol
- This reading is considered the most important in assessing risk factor;
- LDL deposits cholesterol in your blood vessels narrowing them and putting you under risk for heart attack.
C-reactive protein (CPR) is a protein in the blood that will increase with inflammation, such as atherosclerosis. CPR tests are warranted for those who are at intermediate risk of heart disease
A fasting cholesterol test is recommended for anyone from 20 years of age onwards, especially where there is high cholesterol in the family as well as heart disease.
