When was the last time you got
your cholesterol checked? Did you understand the results? Were you
given the total breakdown of HDL and LDL? Do you know what your
cardiac risk level is?
With cardiovascular disease being
the nation’s leading killer, these are serious questions worth
asking yourself. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for strokes
and heart disease, so having your cholesterol checked every year is
very important no matter how you feel.
Surprisingly, not all doctors will
routinely check your cholesterol levels, so it is up to you to take
charge of your body and request an annual blood workup. See how much
you know about cholesterol by taking this true-or-false quiz from
the American Heart Association.
1. Thin people don’t have to worry
about high cholesterol-False.
Although overweight people are more likely to have high cholesterol,
thin people should get their cholesterol levels checked regularly
too. Often people who don’t gain weight easily are less aware of how
much fat they eat.
2. There’s no need to get your
cholesterol checked until you reach middle age-False.
You should get your cholesterol checked at an early age—as young as
20. It’s never too early to develop a heart-healthy lifestyle.
3. People on cholesterol-lowering
medications don’t need to worry about what they eat-False.
Making healthy lifestyle changes along with taking your
cholesterol-lowering medication is the best way to help prevent
heart disease.
4. LDL (bad cholesterol) should be
below 100 mg/dL-True.
An LDL count over 100 is too high and presents risk factors for
cardiovascular disease.
5. HDL (good cholesterol) should
be 40 mg/dL or higher-True.
In fact, the higher the HDL number, the better.
For more information about Baylor
All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit
http://www.BaylorHealth.com.
