Cholesterol FAQs (cont.)
IN THIS ARTICLE
- What is cholesterol?
- What causes high cholesterol?
- What are the symptoms of high cholesterol?
- How often should I have my cholesterol checked?
- How is cholesterol checked?
- Should I only be concerned with my total cholesterol number?
- What kinds of problems are caused by high cholesterol?
- What can I do to prevent high cholesterol?
- When would a doctor prescribe a medication to lower cholesterol?
- What are the uncontrollable and controllable risk factors for high cholesterol?
- For More Information
- Web Links
- Synonyms and Keywords
- Authors and Editors
How is cholesterol checked?
A simple blood test, called a fasting lipoprotein profile, checks for high fats in the blood. You may be asked to fast overnight before the test, hence its name. A fasting lipoprotein profile measures total cholesterol, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, HDL ("good") cholesterol, and triglycerides in your blood.
A cholesterol test can be done without fasting, but then only the levels of total cholesterol and HDL ("good") cholesterol can be used.
See Cholesterol Tests.
Next: Should I only be concerned with my total cholesterol number? »
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High HDL Cholesterol (Hyperalphalipoproteinemia) »
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is positively associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).
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