How to Get Your 胆固醇 Tested

一个简单而重要的测试

High cholesterol usually has no symptoms. That’s why it’s important to have your health care professional check your cholesterol levels with a simple blood test. 

It may be a "fasting" or "non-fasting" lipoprotein profile. You will be told if you should fast before your test. 禁食通常意味着不吃东西, drinking certain beverages and taking medications 9 to 12 hours before the cholesterol test.

In the test, a health care professional takes a sample of your blood. If additional blood tests are needed, all the samples are usually taken at once. 不适通常是轻微的.

After the blood sample is taken, it’s analyzed in a laboratory, where the levels of HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides 测量. (If you don’t fast, only the values for total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol may be usable.) Your test report will show your cholesterol level in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL).

To determine your cardiovascular risk, your health care professional will consider your cholesterol test results in context with your age, 性别和家族史. 其他 风险因素, such as smoking, diabetes and high 血压, will be considered as well. 如果你的风险仍然不确定, 治疗方案尚不清楚, your health care professional may consider other factors and/or request a coronary artery calcium measurement to provide greater insight into your risk and help in decision-making.

How often should cholesterol be checked?

The 美国心脏协会 recommends that all adults 20 or older have their cholesterol and other traditional 风险因素 checked every four to six years as long as their risk remains low. 40岁以后, your health care professional will also want to use an equation to calculate your 10-year risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

People with cardiovascular disease, 以及那些风险较高的人, may need their cholesterol and other 风险因素 assessed more often.

Your health care professional will explain what your cholesterol levels mean and can discuss treatment options if your numbers are not where they should be.

Where should cholesterol be checked?

Your primary care doctor should do the test. They will have a fuller understanding of your personal and family history, as well as any other 风险因素 that might apply. 如上所述, your cholesterol levels represent just one of many factors affecting your cardiovascular health.

If your cholesterol is checked at a public screening, they may measure your HDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. But if HDL cholesterol isn’t measured, knowing your total cholesterol levels still gives you valuable information. 获取血液中的胆固醇, 血压, body mass index and fasting blood sugar measured regularly should be part of your overall personal care plan.

If you obtain cholesterol screening results from a source outside of your primary care doctor’s office, 一定要和他们分享. Additional data points help to establish your cardiovascular risk. This is particularly important for people who smoke, 有其他健康问题, such as diabetes or inflammatory conditions, or have a family history of heart disease, 高血压或中风.