Cholesterol Screening Test – Preventative Health Through Screening

Current advice on when and how frequently a person needs a cholesterol screening test is that anyone 20 and over should be screened for high cholesterol. They should have a test once every 5 years. If you have high cholesterol then you will be tested more frequently. The same applies if you have had high cholesterol in the past. A cholesterol screening test gets a reading of LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

Although the guideline is 5 years there are instances where this will be overruled. For example, if you are taking a special medication or a specialized diet to help you manage your cholesterol level then a blood test will be required more often to determine the success or otherwise of the treatment. In such instances, patients will need to follow the instruction of their doctors on the exact frequency with which cholesterol screening test must be performed. It may also be the case that the person uses a home tester for this process as going to the doctors clinic each time might not be practical

Basically, cholesterol screening tests are done to track the effectiveness of prescribed treatment measures in regard to certain diets as well as special medications that have been prescribed in order to manage the cholesterol situation; the screening tests are meant to check whether the results have been effective and whether there is in fact a fall taking place in cholesterol levels.

Another important consideration that needs to be addressed is that a cholesterol screening test must preferably be performed on a patient who is still in good health. In case the patient is sick or is suffering from serious illness or when blood cholesterol levels become low as happens immediately following a heart attack; these are times when the patient will need to wait at least 6 weeks before attempting a cholesterol screening test.

Although there are no hard facts regarding the effectiveness or otherwise of conducting cholesterol screening tests, it seems to make commonsense to know your cholesterol levels if you accept that a high cholesterol level leads to major diseases and illnesses.

Indeed, after conducting such tests it has been found that the risk of cardiovascular diseases falls for both sexes and this obviously has led doctors and health care professionals to conclude that there are indeed benefits to testing for cholesterol in people.  These benefits are for the individual concerned and the wider community. 

It is also recommended that periodic cholesterol screening test be performed, in the case of women, when they are in their middle years. What’s more, before taking this kind of test it is necessary that you ask your doctor to follow the guidelines laid down by the National Cholesterol Education Program that call for comprehensive screening tests as well as checks for other risk factors that are not a part of normal cholesterol screening tests.

High cholesterol levels, particularly high LDL or triglycerides should be dealt with immediately. Treatment generally starts with the individual modifying their lifestyle. This could include things like eating a healthier diet and exercising more often. It could also mean trying to reduce stress (which exercise can do anyhow) and stopping bad habits like smoking. Other than that, early detection of elevated cholesterol levels can play a vital part in slowing down heart disease development and in this regard, advance cholesterol screening test is the best tool with which to manage cholesterol problems.