Cholesterol Screening: Who Should Get Tested and How Often?

High cholesterol can cause fatty deposits in your arteries which raises your risk of heart attack or stroke. Since high cholesterol isn’t something you can see or feel, the only way to diagnose high cholesterol is to take a cholesterol blood test.

How often do you need a cholesterol test? That depends primarily on your age, weight, lifestyle, and family history.

Early detection of high cholesterol can help prevent future heart disease which, if left untreated, can lead to serious events such as stroke or heart attack. Regular cholesterol tests can also determine if medical treatment and lifestyle changes are working to lower cholesterol levels.

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of regular cholesterol screening for heart health.

blood test for cholesterol in Carshalton

What Is a Cholesterol Blood Test?


If you want to get a cholesterol screening, you need to take a cholesterol blood test (aka a lipid panel or lipid profile) to measure how much cholesterol and how many triglycerides you have in your blood. Essentially, these tests measure the build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries. Excessive fatty build-up can clog arteries, making your body work harder to pump blood through your veins.

There are four different types of fats in your bloodstream, a cholesterol blood test will measure:

·         Total cholesterol

·         Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (bad cholesterol)

·         High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (good cholesterol)

·         Triglycerides. 

Your healthcare provider may prescribe a cholesterol blood test with fasting for more accurate results.

Who Should Get a Cholesterol Test?

The NHS recommends that women aged 55-65 and men aged 45-65 take a cholesterol test at least every 1 to 2 years. It is also recommended that seniors over 65 should get tested annually.  

Get your cholesterol tested regularly if you:

·         Have a family history of heart attacks, stroke, or high cholesterol

·         Are overweight.

·         Are physically inactive.

·         Have diabetes.

·         Eat an unhealthy diet.

·         Smoke cigarettes.

If you are currently undergoing treatment to lower cholesterol and are making healthy life changes such as getting fit, eating a balanced diet, and reducing stress – then you’ll want to find out if all the changes are making a positive change. Getting regular cholesterol tests in Sutton at Anna Pharmacy can help you monitor your progress.

If you live in the greater South London area, you can drop in for a blood test for cholesterol in Carshalton, Hackbridge, Croydon, or Sutton.

Find an Anna Pharmacy location nearest you at www.annapharmacy.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCR Test: How to Check if Your DNA is Genetically Modified?

Image
Only scientists, researchers, and people in the medical field have been familiar with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests for years. But since COVID-19 rapidly spread around the world in 2020, people have started to talk about getting a PCR test to know if the virus infects them. The UK government advised getting tested before leaving the country for a trip. It is because a fit to fly PCR test certificate could be a requirement for your trip abroad. But as you book your COVID-19 travel test, it would be interesting to know how PCR tests work and what is its other purposes such as checking genetically modified DNAs. What is a PCR Test? PCR is a laboratory-developed technique that can create millions of copies of DNA from a tiny sample. This process, invented in 1983 by Dr. Kary Mullis, is scientifically referred to as DNA amplification. There are plenty of uses for PCR other than checking if you contracted the COVID-19 virus. Some of the most practical ones include amplifying
Read more

Does HIV increase the chance of getting infected by COVID-19?

Image
In 2020, researchers discovered COVID-19 and other non-AIDS cancers were the significant causes of mortality among people affected with HIV. For example, the British HIV Association said that non-AIDS cancers caused six out of seven deaths. COVID-19 is an illness brought about by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), whose different variants manifest symptoms ranging from cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, among others. Today, antigen tests are available to know if you caught the virus. Call the nearest pharmacy to learn more about getting an  antigen test in Hackbridge . But how does COVID-19 affect people with HIV? Scroll down to know more. Is There a Higher Risk of Infection for People with HIV? Various studies conclude that infection among people with underlying health conditions is similar to those who do not have co-morbidities like HIV, diabetes, and heart conditions. There is no conclusive evidence that people with HIV run a higher risk of acquiring the COVID virus than HIV-
Read more

What Makes Covid-19 Stand Out from Other Communicable Diseases?

Image
  The sudden rise of the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the normal flow of the world. It prompted nations to close their borders to prevent the rampant spread of the virus.  People with suspected symptoms need to undergo a covid 19 antigen test to check if the virus infected them. Taking the PCR test is also necessary to confirm the presence of the virus, especially if you are required to have a required fit to fly test before a flight.  Since covid-19 is a communicable disease , plenty of people thought it was just like the ordinary flu back when the pandemic started in 2020. However, while there are some similarities between covid-19 and influenza , including their symptoms, they also have many differences.  Here are more facts about Covid-19 to learn more about what sets it apart from other diseases:  Covid-19 and Influenza (Flu)  Both Covid-19 and flu are considered respiratory illnesses. However, they are from entirely different forms of viruses. As the name suggests,
Read more