If you regularly follow my blogs you realize that ‘high cholesterol’ is not good for you. Yes, it increases the odds that you end up with some form of heart disease, possible heart attack (MI) or stroke (CVA). American adults again excel in the area of negative health matters: about 47 percent of us have cholesterol levels that are too high.

Many thing contribute to this including our genes (family history), diet and how much cholesterol our own body is making. By the way my family all have high cholesterol yet I do not! It is best to find out exactly not guess how much ‘fat’ is circulating in your blood!

 This form of ‘fat’ (lipid) likely along other fats (inc. triglycerides) when in excess can build up, collects (deposits) under the inner thin (‘intima’) layer of our arteries. This fatty deposit is ‘spongy’ and simply put narrows the opening that blood can flows through. As you can imagine increase narrowing or a ruptured with resulting in fatty deposit flying (clot) can completely block or plug vessels further down the circulation system.

Even if you are not that unlucky you know what less blood going to where it is needed means – heart muscle dies, in the brain, brain cells die, a stroke.

 So do you know what your blood cholesterol is? A ‘lipid profile’ blood test gives information –  not just total cholesterol, (including  ‘good’-high density lipid- HDL and ‘bad’LDL  types/subtypes of each) but also triglyceride levels. If your levels are not at ‘goal (see table) PLEASE ask your Doc if he/she has checked the ‘subtypes of HDL and LDL.chol

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You should have your lipid levels checked regularly (at least once every five years starting at age 20). Check out above table  and have a look at your recent test values. Not had ‘lipid profile’  levels done – ask your healthcare provider to draw them on your next visit.