Diagnosing high cholesterol

How is high cholesterol diagnosed?

High cholesterol is generally diagnosed through routine cholesterol monitoring during a regular physician visit. Sometimes it is diagnosed during blood screening after a heart attack, stroke or other medical problem. Everyone over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years. To obtain accurate results, it is important not to eat for 9 to 12 hours before having this blood test done. This test will measure:

• LDL (bad) cholesterol- the main source of cholesterol build up in the arteries
• HDL (good) cholesterol- helps keep cholesterol from building up in the arteries
• Triglycerides- another form of fat in the blood that increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes

What cholesterol levels are considered desirable, moderate or high?

The following tables can help you gain an understanding of the general categories for LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels.