What’s your cholesterol IQ?

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.