Why Is Cholesterol Testing Important?

Everyone should get their first cholesterol testing at about the age of 20. Although it is likely that your cholesterol levels will be normal at that time of life, it can still provide a baseline for your doctor. A cholesterol testing can then be done every five years. If symptoms of high cholesterol become evident, cholesterol testing should be done more frequently.

Some Cholesterol Are Actually Helpful

Despite cholesterol's bad reputation, it is actually necessary to the working system of the human body. Cholesterol helps to build the membranes of the body's cells. It may also act as an antioxidant. Cholesterol helps produce bile and digest fat. A cholesterol testing will let you know the amount of cholesterol that is present in your blood at the time. In most people, usually about 85% of cholesterol was made by the liver. The rest comes from food.

Cholesterol that is found in the blood is a joining of the fatty cholesterol which is made by our body with protein molecules. Good cholesterol will have a higher ratio of protein to fat. However, bad cholesterol will have a higher ratio of fat. A cholesterol testing will measure both types of cholesterol. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is the cholesterol known as bad cholesterol. It builds up plaque in the arteries and can cause clogging which may constrict the blood flow and then result in heart disease.

High density lipoprotein (HDL) is the cholesterol known as good cholesterol. It does all of the good work like unclogging the blocked arteries caused by the LDL. A cholesterol testing will show the balance between the two cholesterols.

Although cholesterol testing can show how much of each type of cholesterol is present in your body, it cannot show why the certain cholesterol is high or low. Genetics can be one factor in determining how our body deals with cholesterol. Some people can have high cholesterol even when on a low fat diet and vice-versa. A cholesterol testing will also measure the fats that travel in the bloodstream.

This fat is known as triglycerides. It is made up of excess calories, or even alcohol and sugar. This fat is directly from our diet. That is why the results from cholesterol testing can help us make changes in our diet to decrease it and thus prevent coronary artery disease.

Besides cholesterol testing, you should also exercise regularly to manage your cholesterol levels. Regular exercise of just half an hour a day can help raise good cholesterol and lower your bad cholesterol. Limiting fats, particularly saturated fats and trans fats will help lower the 15% of cholesterol that comes from your diet.

If after those methods are implemented and further cholesterol testing shows there is little improvement in your cholesterol levels, then medicine can be used to help you. All these steps begin with cholesterol testing. That is why cholesterol testing is important to improve your odds for a long, healthy life.