preview

Regular Choolesterol Screening

Decent Essays

Regular cholesterol screening is an important part in maintaining good health, but may be confusing. By understanding the role cholesterol plays in the body, you can better understand why regular screening is important.

Understanding cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like product found in cells throughout your body. It helps in building hormones like estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and in the production of cortisol, the stress hormone. Cholesterol also helps the body in the absorption of vitamins A, D, K, and E. Although your body produces some cholesterol, it is found in many of the foods you eat. LDL verses HDL
There are two types of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is …show more content…

LDL carries plaque which attaches to the walls of arteries and beings to build up. The plaque is a combination of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances. As it builds up over time, it hardens and the arteries become narrow, a condition called atherosclerosis. The blood cannot flow as freely and oxygen cannot get throughout the body as it should. If the plaque ruptures or breaks open, a blood clot can form. If the clot becomes large enough, blood flow is impaired or blocked completely. You may experience extreme pressure or pain in the chest called angina or possible pain in the shoulders, jaw, arms, back, or the discomfort associated with indigestion. This is a heart attack. Heart damage or even death may result if blood flow is not quickly restored. However, arteries leading to other parts of the body can have plaque buildup resulting in strokes, carotid artery disease, and peripheral artery disease. On the other hand, if the HDL is higher, the risk for heart disease is lower. Understanding Your Screening
A routine cholesterol screening involves a simple blood test. An LDL number of 190 mg/dL is considered high, but an HDL level below 40 mg/dL is too low and is a risk for heart disease. The levels of both HDL and LDL are added together for a total cholesterol number. The risk breakdown for the levels are;

200 mg/dL or less -

Get Access