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Since 2001, The Expert Panel of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has recommended that all adults aged 20 years or older should have a ?fasting lipoprotein profile? performed at least every five years. This test measures not only your total blood cholesterol level, but also the amount of LDL cholesterol (the so-called ?bad cholesterol?), HDL cholesterol (the so-called ?good cholesterol?), and triglycerides (other fats) in your blood. In people who have an elevated risk of heart disease (due either to high cholesterol levels or because of other risk factors, such as smoking, diabetes or hypertension), the lipid profile should be measured more frequently.
The Expert Panel also modified the guidelines for interpreting the results of lipid profile tests. The new guidelines are as follows:
CLASSIFICATION OF TOTAL, LDL & HDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS TOTAL CHOLESTEROL (mg/dL)
Less than 200 -- Desirable
200 to 239 -- Borderline high
240 and above ? High
LDL CHOLESTEROL
Less than 100 -- Optimal
100 to 129 -- Near optimal / above optimal
130 to 159 -- Borderline high
160 to 189 -- High
190 and above -- Very high
HDL CHOLESTEROL
Less than 40 -- Low
60 and above ? High
If you are 20 years of age or older, and you have not had a lipid profile blood test, I recommend that you talk to your doctor about having this test done. High blood cholesterol (especially high LDL cholesterol) is an important risk factor for coronary heart disease, as is a low level of HDL cholesterol.
However, it is possible to reduce your risk from these factors. That's why it's important to ?know your numbers? and follow the NCEP guidelines. |
