Preventing High Cholesterol Levels

A blood test to check your cholesterol levels will include your lipid profile. Your doctor will look over your blood test results and then discuss them with you. The discussion will include ways for you to lower your LDL level if it is high or raise your HDL level if it is low.

If you have high cholesterol levels you won't typically "feel" anything or have any symptoms.

The only way to know that your cholesterol levels are high is if you have them tested.

There are two cholesterols that are tested the LDL and the HDL. The LDL level should be low in order to be considered at a healthy level.

The HDL cholesterol should be high in order to be considered at a healthy level. This is why individuals hear the terms "bad cholesterol" associated with the LDL cholesterol level and "good cholesterol" when they hear the HDL cholesterol level.

It is good to have your HDL cholesterol at a high level, but bad to have your LDL cholesterol at a high level. The way to remember which one is good to be high is that the one you want to be high begins with the letter H, has in HDL and High. It is not just preventing high cholesterol level; it is knowing which one to keep high that is important for your heart health.

A blood test to check your cholesterol levels will include your lipid profile. Your doctor will look over your blood test results and then discuss them with you.

The discussion will include ways for you to lower your LDL level if it is high or raise your HDL level if it is low.

Tips for keeping your LDL cholesterol level low:

Know what you healthy weight is first of all, and then get there or maintain that weight. Your doctor can give you guidelines for what weight range is healthy for your age and body build.

Those individuals who are overweight can see a big improvement in their cholesterol levels when they lose just 5 o 10% of their body weight. Dieting is a big commercial industry today, so let your doctor guide you if you are going to go on a diet so that the diet will be the right one for you and any other health issues that you may have.

Exercise not only keeps your weight where it should be, if you exercise at a moderate level for about 30 minutes a day, five times a week, you can also reduce your LDL and raise your HDL cholesterols.

Moderate exercising does not have to include being a triathelete or even a gym membership; you can receive the benefits of moderate exercising by just walking briskly, or swimming.

Bad Cholesterol What do You Know About At-home Cholesterol Tests? Are you tempted to purchase an at-home cholesterol test? Are you worried about lowering your bad cholesterol enough that making this purchase is tempting you? There are many of these cholesterol at-home tests on the market to choose from. If you pay attention to the ads you may believe that these tests are quick, accurate and you can get the results in the privacy of your own home where no one else needs to know just how bad your numbers really are. Bad Cholesterol

Eating healthy includes not only the correct portion sizes but the correct food choices too. Make sure to include lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and lean sources of protein in your diet. Limit the amount of meats, pastries, cookies, and other snack food items from your diet to eliminate all those empty calories and your body and your heart will thank you.

Ask your doctor about medications that can increase or decrease cholesterol levels. This way if you are ever placed on these medications in the future you can advise the doctor who is prescribing the medication that you are concerned about the affect it may have on your cholesterol levels.

Not all doctors know about all the medications that other doctors may have you on, so advising all your medical care professionals about the medications you are taking is a smart move when it comes to medication interactions as well as the affect some medications can have on other health issues than what individual doctors are treating you for.

If you should ever be placed on a medication that is known to have an affect on cholesterol levels make sure that a doctor will be monitoring your lipid levels while you are taking the medication.

Did you know that smoking could lower your HDL cholesterol, remember that is the one that you want to be high! If you smoke, this is another health reason to stop. Ask your doctor for help so that you can break the smoking habit. If you do not smoke, good for you don’t start.

Now you know that there are many things you can do to monitor and change your cholesterol levels so that they are at healthy levels for your health and for your heart.