Cholesterol Test (cont.)
Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM
Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
In this Article
- High cholesterol facts
- What is cholesterol?
- What does a cholesterol test measure?
- How do I prepare for a cholesterol test?
- Do I need to call my doctor for my test results?
- How do I interpret my cholesterol test results?
- Find a local Doctor in your town
What does a cholesterol test measure?
Cholesterol tests are blood tests that measure the amount of cholesterol in the body. The health care provider may order only a cholesterol test with results showing total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL levels; or the health care provider also may order a lipid profile. In addition to cholesterol levels, the lipid profile test will also measure triglyceride levels, another fatty substance found in the blood.
How do I prepare for a cholesterol test?
For the best and most accurate results, it is important to fast for many hours before the cholesterol blood test is taken. Each laboratory has its own guidelines for not eating, and the fast may range from 9-16 hours. It is acceptable to drink water.
Do I need to call my doctor for my test results?
It usually takes a day or two from the time the blood is drawn until your health care provider receives the results of the cholesterol test. Ideally, the health care provider will contact you with those results and explain their significance. However, if you have not been contacted in a short period of time, it is reasonable to contact your health care provider and ask for the test results.
There are home cholesterol test kits available that have been U.S. FDA approved, but their accuracy is not necessarily as good as that of a certified laboratory. These tests usually measure total cholesterol only, but some also can measure HDL, LDL and cholesterol. If you use one of the home kits, it is wise to discuss the results with your health care provider.
The purpose of the cholesterol blood test is to determine whether treatment is needed for high cholesterol. That treatment may include dietary and lifestyle modifications, medications, or both to control cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.
http://www.medicinenet.com/cholesterol_test/article.htm
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