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Cholesterol Test
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Common Questions
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1. Who should have a cholesterol screening test?
2. What causes high cholesterol?
3. What treatments are recommended if my levels are too high?
4. What is my risk of a heart attack if I have high cholesterol?
5. I haven't changed my diet or exercise pattern but my cholesterol has gone up since the last time it was tested. Why?
6. My doctor told me I had a high cholesterol test but instead of treating me he told me to wait a few months and test it again. Why?
1. Who should have a cholesterol screening test?
- If you already know you have heart disease (angina, heart attack)
- If there is a family history of high cholesterol, or of heart disease at an early age
- If you are over 35 years old and have risk factors which put you at an increased chance of developing heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or you are a smoker
- If you are taking drugs to lower your cholesterol level
2. What causes high cholesterol?
High cholesterol may be the result of an inherited disease or it may result from a diet high in saturated fats. For many people it is caused by a combination of both a high fat diet and an inherited tendency towards high cholesterol.
3. What treatments are recommended if my levels are too high?
The preferred treatment is to adopt a diet that is low in saturated fats. A low-fat diet will usually lower cholesterol about 8%. If diet cannot lower cholesterol enough, drugs are often recommended. Sometimes two different drugs are used together to treat people with extremely high cholesterol levels. The drug of choice differs for different people. There are several classes of drugs that are commonly used. These include bile acid sequestrants, niacin, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins) and fibrates. Your doctor will need to take into account your individual situation before prescribing any cholesterol-lowering drug.
4. What is my risk of a heart attack if I have high cholesterol?
High cholesterol increases your risk of a heart attack. The higher the cholesterol, the higher the risk. However, many other factors also affect your risk of a heart attack, such as smoking, diabetes, age, and high blood pressure.
5. I haven't changed my diet or exercise pattern but my cholesterol has gone up since the last time it was tested. Why?
Cholesterol levels fluctuate over time. The measured cholesterol level may differ by as much as 10% from one month to another. It may go up sometimes or it may go down sometimes. These changes are called biological variation and they represent normal variability inherent in human metabolism.
6. My doctor told me I had a high cholesterol test but instead of treating me he told me to wait a few months and test it again. Why?
Cholesterol levels fluctuate over time. A single measurement of cholesterol may not always reflect the "usual” cholesterol level. For this reason, it is advisable to have at least two different measurements several weeks to several months apart before beginning any kind of treatment. Treatment is based on the average value.
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This page was last modified on
May 3, 2004.
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